Dozens of University of Wisconsin-Madison students fell into Lake Mendota when a swimming pier collapsed beneath them on Labor Day. Police say there were about 60 to 80 people standing on the pier off Memorial Union Terrace when it collapsed. About 20 people suffered minor injuries and one person was hospitalized. Five others were treated by paramedics at the scene. The pier is owned by the university and was scheduled to be removed for the season the day after the collapse. UW officials say that the swimming area of the pier was not staffed by lifeguards at the time of the collapse. An investigation is underway.
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Not The First Pier Collapse at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace
This is not the first time that the pier at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace has collapsed. The first collapse happened less than 20 years ago. In October 2005, the pier collapsed during the first Great Pumpkin Regatta, sending about 20 spectators into the lake. No injuries were reported in the 2005 incident. UW-Madison officials said the university would conduct a full investigation and replace the dock. A former student who was photographing the event for a student newspaper told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he did not remember seeing any signs near the pier informing the public of a capacity limit.
Structural Failure and Collapse Lawsuit Information
A properly designed, constructed, and maintained structure should not collapse. When a structure such as a bridge, pier, or walkway collapses, the damage can cause serious injuries and even death. Through lawsuit investigations, the legal team at Pritzker Hageman has seen structures collapse from the following catastrophic failures:
- Faulty design and engineering
- Building code violations
- Defective or incorrectly sourced materials
- Sloppy or defective construction methods
- Improper maintenance
- Failure to condemn and secure unsafe structures
Contact an Experienced Structural Collapse Attorney
If you or a loved one suffered an injury from a poorly designed, built, or maintained structure, you need the help of an experienced structural collapse attorney with the resources and resolve to handle these complex cases. The Pritzker Hageman legal team has gone up against large Fortune 500 companies to win hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. If you would like to talk to a lawyer about your case, please call 612-338-0202, text 612-261-0856, or fill out the form below.