Bridge Collapses Raise Safety Concerns

Fortunately bridge collapses are not very common. However, personal injury law is a broad area. 

Recent bridge collapses have many people seriously wondering how safe our roads and bridges are. The bridge collapses in Washington and Missouri are very concerning. People must use these bridges every day and must trust that they are properly maintained, kept up, are safe and durable, and that they are well-constructed. Though some say that most bridges are safe and that there is no reason for alarm, it is impossible not to be worried when the infrastructure of these bridges and overpasses seem to be deficient.

In Washington State near the end of May, a bridge collapse over the Skagit River was caused by a truck crashing into one of the bridge girders. The accident happened because the truck was transporting a load that was almost two feet higher than the clearance height of the bridge. The bridge height was not posted anywhere visible to the driver, because posting such information is only required when the bridge height is less than 14 feet, 5 inches.

Upon impact, the steel truss bridge collapsed, sending 2 vehicles and drivers and large portions of the bridge structure crashing into the river. Thankfully, the collapse caused zero fatalities, but three people needed rescue and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

This particular bridge was built in 1955. Some people are using this collapse as support for the argument that infrastructure in the U.S. is declining, and more money and time must be invested in repairing these deficient structures. Others point out, however, that this bridge only fell because its support beams were compromised by being struck by the truck. State officials in Washington point out that the bridge was inspected twice in the last year. The state has a list of “structurally deficient” bridges, but this bridge, located 55 miles north of Seattle, was not on the list, and had a better rating than several other bridges.

But a private organization called the National Bridge Inventory Database said that the bridge was “functionally obsolete” and that it does not meet current standards.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported that this was not the first time the bridge was damaged, and that there were noticeable signs of past damage. Records show that another “oversize hit” to the bridge happened just seven months prior to this incident.

And in southeast Missouri, a freight train collision at a rail intersection caused a bridge to collapse. Two people on the trains and five individuals in cars on the overpass on Highway M near Scott City, about 120 miles south of St. Louis, sustained minor injuries. There were no fatalities.

When one train T-boned the other it caused the train to derail. As it derailed, the train struck a pillar of the overpass, collapsing the bridge.

These bridges collapsed due to collision, but other bridges, like the 2007 Minnesota bridge collapse, have happened without warning. In that collapse, 145 people were injured and 13 were killed. This tragedy became a national symbol of crumbling infrastructure.

A settlement was reached in 2010 by the URS Corporation of San Francisco in the amount of $52.4 million. This settlement concluded the litigation for the victims of the tragedy. The bridge collapse was caused by a design flaw in the bridge, but URS refused to accept guilt, saying the settlement was only to avoid a trial.

St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers

Fortunately bridge collapses are not very common. However, personal injury law is a broad area. The term is generally associated with cases in which a person has been hurt as a result of the carelessness, recklessness, negligence or intentional act of another.

The St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm represent personal injury victims in St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois. Since 1991 we have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. To discuss your case, contact the personal injury lawyers at Zevan and Davidson by calling (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: pasa47