Crane collapse: Standing up for safety and accountability

In the wake of tragedy, standing up for accountability and safety

In March 2022, a King County jury returned a $150 million verdict that included two families who lost loved ones in the deadly 2019 crane collapse in Seattle’s South Lake Union. The jury found mobile crane operators Omega Morgan Sarens and Northwest Tower Crane Service primarily responsible for the collapse. Throughout the legal process, David Beninger and Patricia Anderson served as counsel to the family of victim Alan Justad, a loving father and former City of Seattle planning official. The crane collapse occurred on April 27, 2019, as teams from Omega and Northwest Tower were in the process of disassembling a tower crane, working hand-in-glove to dismantle each piece, when it toppled over onto Mercer Street. The collapse killed Justad, a 71-year-old city planning official, and Sarah Wong, a 19-year-old Seattle Pacific University student, along with ironworkers Andrew Yoder, 31, and Travis Corbet, 33. Investigations by experts in crane safety and construction found that Omega and Northwest Tower failed to take basic precautions to keep structural pins in place, monitor wind and other weather conditions, and more. Omega alone has continued to brush aside responsibility and failed to implement changes to its safety procedures, Beninger said. “Through the legal process, we found that Omega turned a blind eye to its unsafe practices and refused to learn any lessons or make changes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Beninger said. “We hope this jury verdict is a wake-up call for the Omegas of the world to make sure safety first is more than just a slogan.” The verdict came after a six-week trial in which Omega refused to accept any responsibility. Instead, the company blamed others and forced the case to trial. Anderson noted that other companies involved, Morrow Equipment, GLY Construction and Seaberg Construction, took accountability for implementing safer practices. “Fortunately, for most of the companies that worked on the project, this catastrophe has served as a catalyst for making much-needed improvements to crane safety protocols,” said Anderson. “As a result, construction sites across the region are safer for workers and for the community members living around them.”