03.08.2015

$95.8 million damages for fatal crane incident

A New York Jury has ordered Jimmy Lomma to pay $95.8 million in damages to two men who died in a 2008 tower crane collapse.

The jury ordered Jimmy Lomma and his companies to pay $32 million to the family of Ramadan Kurtaj and $15.8 million to the family of Donald Leo, it later awarded a further $48 million in punitive damages.
Leo was operating the crane when a repaired weld on a the slew ring mounting bracket gave way, while Kurtaj was working underneath and was crushed by the falling crane superstructure.

Lawyers working for the two families claimed that Lomma was responsible because he allowed the part to be repaired in China by a company that was unqualified to carry out such a repair.

Lomma was acquitted of manslaughter and other criminal charges in 2012, while lead mechanic Tibor Varganyi, who organised the repair, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to a year of community service.

The trial began last October after a six month delay, following Lomma’s injury in a serious car accident. In June, the families won the right to persue Lomma personally for damages Click here to see Families win ruling in Lomma civil trial