Missouri Landmark Legal Settlements
Kansas City to spend $2.5 billion to eliminate sewer overflows
Kansas City agreed in 2010 to make more than $2.5 billion in improvements to its sewer systems over the next 25 years to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban storm water following a settlement deal with the federal government.
Since 2002, Kansas City has experienced more than 1,000 illegal sewer overflows, including at least 138 un-permitted combined sewer overflows, 390 sanitary sewer overflows and 766 backups in buildings and private properties. The overflows were in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
$140 million awarded in Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
On July 17, 1981, the walkway collapsed at the Hotel Regency in Kansas City, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others who were at a tea dance. At the time it was the deadliest structural collapse in U.S. history.
After the collapse, at least $140 million was awarded to victims and their families in both judgments and settlements in subsequent civil lawsuits.
A large amount of this money came from Crown Center Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards that was the owner of the hotel franchise.
University of Missouri settles suit in '05 player death
The University of Missouri in 2009 reached a settlement in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of a former reserve linebacker who collapsed on the field during a preseason workout.
Aaron O'Neal was a 19-year-old red-shirt freshman from suburban St. Louis who collapsed on the Memorial Stadium field during a voluntary workout in July 2005. He died less than two hours later.
The lawsuit alleged that school employees failed to take medical precautions necessitated by O'Neal's carrying of the sickle cell trait. The hereditary condition has been linked to heat stroke and exercise-induced collapse.
Copyright© 2012 LexisNexis. All rights reserved.