Pittsburgh bridge collapse: City admits liability, attorney reacts
Gainey administration admits city liability for Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, seeks to pay $500,000 to victim plaintiffs
Attorney Jason Matzus, who represents the Ronco family following the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, says that although the city took long enough to admit its half of the blame, it is not the only one to blame."It does not end everything. We've said from the beginning there is more than enough blame to go around. So the case against the inspection companies will proceed full steam ahead," Matzus said. The city of Pittsburgh announced Friday that the Gainey administration is asking the city council and a judge to approve a $500,000 payment that would cover the city's full liability to victims of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse."They, in essence, are saying to the court, listen, we only have $500,000 of financial exposure to all of these victims, so we're willing to pay our money into a court account rather than fight them any further in litigation," Matzus said.According to state law, that number is capped, and the city would not have to pay the defendants a cent more.Matzus says the plaintiffs may now be able to access that money sooner than having to wait for a verdict or settlement."Accepting the city's full liability up to the liability cap, we hope that we can move the dialog around reaching a final conclusion to a negotiation among the parties and the court in distributing the city's cap payment amongst them," Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak said.As relieved as Matzus says his clients are after the announcement, it's the timing that comes into question. "The city law department could have made this recommendation literally from day one, so why now? There was no pending or potential new claims that motivated them to offer this. We'll never know what the true motivation was," Matzus said.Attorney Jason Matzus, who represents the Ronco family following the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, says that although the city took long enough to admit its half of the blame, it is not the only one to blame.
"It does not end everything. We've said from the beginning there is more than enough blame to go around. So the case against the inspection companies will proceed full steam ahead," Matzus said.
The city of Pittsburgh announced Friday that the Gainey administration is asking the city council and a judge to approve a $500,000 payment that would cover the city's full liability to victims of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse.
"They, in essence, are saying to the court, listen, we only have $500,000 of financial exposure to all of these victims, so we're willing to pay our money into a court account rather than fight them any further in litigation," Matzus said.
According to state law, that number is capped, and the city would not have to pay the defendants a cent more.
Matzus says the plaintiffs may now be able to access that money sooner than having to wait for a verdict or settlement.
"Accepting the city's full liability up to the liability cap, we hope that we can move the dialog around reaching a final conclusion to a negotiation among the parties and the court in distributing the city's cap payment amongst them," Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak said.
As relieved as Matzus says his clients are after the announcement, it's the timing that comes into question.
"The city law department could have made this recommendation literally from day one, so why now? There was no pending or potential new claims that motivated them to offer this. We'll never know what the true motivation was," Matzus said.
