A horrific crane collapse in Fort Lauderdale has left Gemmalyn Castillo, a mother of four and teacher, with severe brain damage and she is now suing for $50 million in damages. The tragedy struck on April 4 when a crane atop the Riverwalk Residences construction site plummeted onto Southeast Third Avenue Bridge, directly hitting the gray minivan Castillo was a passenger in, leading to the death of worker Jorge De La Torre and injuring several others. WSVN detailed that Castillo's attorneys, Brett Rosen and Judd Rosen, are pushing for accountability, citing negligence on behalf of the developer and general contractor.
Claiming more than just physical harm, the lawsuit brought forth by Castillo's legal team argues that their client has been left with incapacitating psychological and cognitive injuries, articulated by attorney Brett Rosen who said, "She has not worked, right? She has blurred vision, she has the scars to her head," in an interview obtained by NBC Miami. Castillo, who was a rideshare passenger at the time of the accident, faced a nightmarish ordeal when the crane collapsed onto the Tesla she was in, an incident that led to her hospitalization and triggered a loss of her ability to return to her teaching profession.
In the fallout of the incident, NBC Miami reports that the lawsuit targets a myriad of involved parties, including the project's general contractor, crane rental, rigging company, as well as the developer and the building's owner. Claims within the suit, which seeks damages in excess of $50 million, allege the crane was improperly inspected, assembled, and that public safety was grossly neglected during its operation. NBC Miami outlined that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is leading an inquiry into the collapse, though findings have yet to be disclosed.
The repercussions of the disaster ripple through Castillo's life, as the inability to sustain her profession dismantles the architecture of normalcy, and the pursuit of justice becomes paramount her attorneys argue that safety was sacrificed for cost savings, with insinuations that the development was plagued by issues from the inception and commentary provided by Brett Rosen in a statement to WSVN saying, "This incident has caused a ripple effect in her life that will change her forever." This claim echoes broader concerns as multiple lawsuits surge forth, pitting developers and contractors against each other in a tangle of blame and counterclaims. The Rosens suggest OSHA complaints and safety violations against the developer were long-standing issues, portending a preventable disaster.
