Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse

Attorney Matzus is one of the lead lawyers representing injury victims in the single worst infrastructure disaster in modern history in the Pittsburgh region. The Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in an instant early in the morning on January 28, 2022.

The Fern Hollow Bridge had been deteriorating for at least a couple of decades before its collapse. Inspections were performed, and significant structural deficiencies were identified but no action was taken to repair the dangerous conditions of the bridge to make it safe for vehicle traffic. Approximately 14,000 vehicles cross the Fern Hollow Bridge per day. Instead of making the necessary repairs, the City of Pittsburgh ignored the unsafe and dangerous condition of the bridge until it could be ignored no longer…because the bridge collapsed.

Thankfully, no one was killed. However, 10 people suffered significant injuries, some of which are permanent and will plague them for the rest of their lives. Worse, many of these individuals are struggling to recover from the emotional harm caused by this near-death experience.

Attorney Matzus is committed to uncovering the truth about the dangerous condition of the Fern Hollow Bridge. According to Attorney Matzus, the public deserves to know the truth about the dangerous condition that the bridge was in. The public deserves to know how long the city knew that the Fern Hollow Bridge was dangerous. At this point, we know that the bridge was rated in poor condition for at least 10 years before it collapsed, and we also tragically know that the city did nothing over those 10 years to fix the problems and protect the public.

According to Attorney Matzus, the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse represents the ability of individuals to hold their government accountable, when their government fails to do its job and people get seriously injured. The City of Pittsburgh obviously has significant public safety responsibilities to each of us, to people who live in the city, and to all people who travel to the city. The City of Pittsburgh failed miserably to fulfill its public safety duty and protect people from preventable harm.