Folks, I’m reading this article about the Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans, and I’ve got to say, it’s been a long time coming. A judge just approved a $106 million settlement to end the years-long legal battle over the deadly 2019 collapse. I mean, can you believe it’s taken this long to get some closure for the families and businesses affected? The 18-story hotel project partially collapsed in October 2019, killing three people and damaging nearby property. It’s just tragic.
I’m sipping my coffee and thinking about how this whole ordeal has played out. A grand jury ultimately decided against indicting anyone in the deadly collapse, but that didn’t stop the lawsuits from piling up. The City of New Orleans even got in on the action, filing a lawsuit in August 2020 naming the building owners, their partners, and contractors. It’s like they say, “you can’t make this stuff up” – the complexity of it all is just mind-boggling.
The various lawsuits were consolidated into one case with a total of 490 plaintiffs, including injured workers and businesses affected by the collapse, against 21 defendants. I mean, that’s a lot of people and companies involved. The case has been pending for more than six years, according to Mark Glago, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs. Six years is a long time to wait for justice, if you ask me.
The combined $106 million settlement was approved by Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese on Thursday, according to Glago and court records. I guess that’s a significant amount of money, but I’m not sure it can fully compensate for the loss of life and property. Glago said, “This will be an honor to, you know, these claimants that have been through so much,” and I think he’s right. The settlement funds will eventually be distributed by a special master, so that’s some relief, at least.
As I finish reading this article, I’m left thinking that it’s about time something was done to address the aftermath of this disaster. The settlement is a step in the right direction, but I hope it’s not too little, too late for those affected. On a lighter note, I guess you could say this settlement is the “rock” that the claimants have been waiting for – sorry, I had to make a Hard Rock Hotel pun. Anyway, it’s a serious issue, but I’m glad to see some closure, and I hope the people of New Orleans can start to move forward from this tragic event.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
