https://www.yahoo.com/news/did-design-flaws-lead-fatal-200000657.htmlThe families of two victims of the collapse of the Jackson Jet Center Hangar at the Boise Airport have notified Boise that they may sue the city in the coming days.
The families of Mario Sontay and Mariano Coc, two workers who were killed in the building’s collapse in January, are seeking $30 million, though their lawyer told the Idaho Statesman he is not sure whether the city of Boise will be a defendant in the case.
The claim cites “flaws” in the structural design, including “inadequate bracing of the beams and columns and all connections” in the approved plans.
“This was no ordinary hangar,” the claim says. “The size, weight, shape, and uniqueness of the designed (sic) called for a responsible and in-depth review based on actual engineering probabilities. The aforesaid deficiencies were contributing causes to the structural instability that lead (sic) to the Hangar collapse.”
The families’ lawyer, Enrique Serna, said that there were nearly 20 parties — including Big D Builders, the Boise-based Inland Crane and other engineering firms — that could be included as defendants in the lawsuit, which he expects to file in about 10 days. In the meantime, he was required to “put the city on notice” within 180 days of the incident if there was a possibility it would be one of the defendants.
The claim was a “notice that if the evidence is there to support the fact that the city was also negligent in the granting of or (approval of) permits in the management of the site, etc., then they stand a shared responsibility in all this demand that we’re seeking,” he said. “That’s why I’m saying, who’s going to bear the brunt of it? Who’s going to be the most? I couldn’t tell you yet.”