A dentist, former bus drivers, and other survivors of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse are suing the city of Pittsburgh and three prominent engineering firms for negligence. The suits claim the four parties are responsible for not fixing decades-long issues with the bridge, which collapsed on January 28, 2022.
Lawsuits claim incompetence
Former Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus driver Daryl Luciani and his spouse are two of several plaintiffs involved in these lawsuits. They were filed on behalf of nine plaintiffs who named the city of Pittsburg and its consultants and engineering firms Larson Design Group, Gannett Fleming Inc., and CDM Smith Inc. defendants.
Dr. Clinton Runco, a dentist traveling on the bridge when it collapsed, is also suing the city with his wife Irene (who was not present at the collapse). Runco was on his way to work when the bridge collapsed and plunged his car into the chasm, where it hit the hillside beneath the bridge and rolled before stopping. He broke his neck, sternum, and several of his ribs in the accident.
Runco’s attorney, Jason Matzus, said the evidence in this case is clear.
“The engineering companies’ incompetence, coupled with the city’s inaction, created a recipe for disaster. Collectively, over 15-plus years, the defendants watched the Fern Hollow Bridge rot, crumble, and deteriorate until the inevitable happened—it collapsed,” Matzus said.
When contacted for comment on the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh’s mayor said the city had no comment due to pending litigation.
Engineering powerhouses under fire
Larson Design Group, Gannett Fleming Inc., and CDM Smith did not return calls for comment on this story. The three firms are well-known in the construction world and collectively have over 200 years of corporate history. Given their history and reputation, their involvement in this matter is shocking.
CDM Smith is a 75-year-old Boston-based firm with 5,000 employees. In 2023, the company had $1.3 billion in revenue.
Larson Design Group is a Williamsport, PA-based firm that has repeatedly been ranked among the nation’s top 300 design firms. The company had $75 million in revenue in 2022.
Founded in 1915, Gannett Fleming employs about 1,900 people and had revenues of $483 million last year.
Matzus said that the defendants’ failure to fix the bridge before it collapsed on its own put thousands of people’s lives in jeopardy for many years.
“You’re talking about national and international engineering firms… They promise the best service, but Fern Hollow Bridge is a damning indictment of that,” Matzus said. “It’s appalling to think that professionals who were well paid did their work so poorly and with such a disregard for public safety.”
Municipal cap on damages
When these lawsuits are settled, the engineering firms may hold the compensatory bag for a collapse that was arguably primarily Pittsburgh officials’ fault. Due to a Pennsylvania statute, plaintiffs in this collapse, if they win, can only receive $500,000 in total damages, meaning all plaintiffs would receive a share of that total amount.
Such a statute is meant to protect cities and municipalities from insolvency resulting from lawsuits. But it also shields incompetent public officials from paying heavily for near-fatal mistakes, Runco said.
“That $500,000 cap incentivizes carelessness and disregard… These organizations [like the city of Pittsburgh] are capable of buying insurance to manage their risk,” Matzus said.
How much of a payout can taxpayers expect these plaintiffs to get? Matzus said that it was at least in the millions of dollars for the compensatory verdict part of the case. Punitive damages also could be awarded, he added.
