The Washington State Department of Transportation has filed a $17 million lawsuit against the motor carrier and driver involved in the 2013 Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge collapse, the Associated Press reported Feb 3.
The lawsuit, filed in Skagit County Superior Court, named several parties as responsible. They included William Scott, the truck driver whose oversize truck hit the bridge; the drivers employer, Mullen Trucking LP; the pilot car driver, Tammy Detray, and her company, G&T Crawlers; and the owner of the metal shed being transported, Saxon Energy Services Inc., according to AP.
In the end all oversize permits hold the driver responsible for any accidents even if the state makes mistakes on routing.
Washington State as well as several other states like Michigan does route for height. What ever route is requested it is the permit holders responsibility to make sure the route is safe.
The crash caused a section of the bridge, located about 60 miles north of Seattle, to fall into the river, along with several vehicles. No fatalities were reported.
The bridge reopened in September 2013 after crews installed a new permanent span. The repair project was largely funded by a $15.6 million federal emergency transportation grant.
In its final report in August 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board said the probable causes of the crash included insufficient motor carrier route planning, a failure by a pilot/escort to warn of potential hazards and inadequate evaluation of oversize load permit requests by state officials.
Washington State Files Lawsuit For Bridge Collapse
Discussion in 'Heavy Haul Trucking Forum' started by 315wheelbase, Feb 3, 2015.
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####, I remember when that bridge collapsed. Let's see how it pans out.
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I seem to remember one of the follow up stories noted that Washington State has hundreds of mismarked bridges. Seems logical to countersue the state.
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Probaly cheaper for Mullen to pay then fight it and get picked on at scales .. Whether right or wrong it's hard to have a target on your back if you go through there steady and you are s monster sized company
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$17 million is worth a fight.
Mudguppy and skyviper73 Thank this. -
Waste of money, regardless of what a permit or a sign on a bridge says, it is the drivers responsibility to make sure that he can clear the structure safely.imup4it Thanks this.
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I recall too about reading about that incident.
Had a friend that used to be a truck driver that went to the pilot/escort job.
I wonder how many of these actually knows the routes and investigates them before leading an overloaded, over width, over height, truck through that route? -
The state is just hurting for $$, pot sales are down
Menehune Thanks this. -
I also heard the driver got pushed to the right side by another trucker. In doing so he clipped a lower arch beam on the right side. If he was allowed to stay in the middle there wouldn't have been a problem.
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Also what I heard along with the pilot driver talking on her cell phone not paying attention. Sucks for the driver. I'm sure Mullen will fight it.
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