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First Lawsuit Filed In FIU Bridge Collapse

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ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) - The companies involved in the design and construction of Florida International University's pedestrian bridge have been named in the first lawsuit filed since its collapse.

Matt Morgan, of Morgan and Morgan, announced that his firm is representing Marquise Hepburn in a civil suit filed Monday morning out of Miami-Dade County.

Morgan said his client was riding his bike to work when the bridge failed, causing a vehicle that veered to get out of the way of the collapse to hit Hepburn, throwing him from his bicycle.

Hepburn suffered spinal injuries during the incident and is still recovering, the attorney said. He has since been discharged from the hospital.

In a press conference held Monday afternoon, Morgan said there were a number of factors his firm plans to dig into, as the collapse is under investigation.

The negligence lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the entities involved in building the bridge. They include Munilla Construction Management and FIGG Bridge Engineers. Both companies say they will cooperate with multiple investigations into the collapse.

The lawsuit says cracks in the 174-foot span should have been taken seriously and traffic should have been diverted during any testing.

Gallery: Scene of the FIU Bridge Collapse 

Southwest 8th Street remains closed indefinitely between 107th Avenue and 117th Avenue as crews work to clear the bridge debris.

On Monday, the university observed a moment of silence 1:47 p.m., the same time the bridge fell last Thursday, as the first step in healing the community.

A vigil for the six people who died in the collapse is planned for Wednesday.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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