Wrongful Death of a Loved One

True Story

On a warm August day, “Sophie,” a young Minnesota woman, was driving her car across the 35W Bridge in Minneapolis. Suddenly, the entire bridge collapsed, and her car plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River. Sophie and 13 other people were killed, and another 145 people were injured.

GoldenbergLaw was hired to help represent Sophie’s family as well as two other seriously injured victims. Along with 17 other law firms, GoldenbergLaw assembled a team to help represent the bridge collapse victims. To further examine this case, we hired some of the best investigators and engineers in the world. We learned that the bridge was built without redundancy and that the gusset plates were too thin. Through the review of thousands of documents, we also became aware that a bridge consulting company called URS had previously given advice to the state about the bridge’s integrity. Lastly, we identified that the bridge’s structure was further compromised due to a construction company placing 578,000 pounds of construction equipment on it.

Our team of firms commenced a lawsuit against URS and the construction company. Although the army of lawyers hired by both companies fought hard against liability, the case ultimately obtained a settlement of 52.4 million dollars, and additional money was paid by the construction company. All told, almost 100 million dollars were recovered. Sophie’s family and the other victims received justice as well as the knowledge that we were willing to fight for what was right for them and the public’s safety. As a result, GoldenbergLaw received the Award of Professional Excellence from the Minnesota State Bar Association.