M&R likely to face a civil suit for damages over Sandton bridge collapse

M&R and other building suppliers linked to the deadly collapse of the bridge support structure over the M1 highway near Sandton could face a civil lawsuit.

Published on:

19 Oct 2015, 5:22 am

From News24
Cape Town – Murray & Roberts and other building suppliers linked to the deadly collapse of the formwork set up ahead of the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the M1 highway near Sandton could face a civil lawsuit.

But the burden of proof of negligence would be on the victims, lawyers told Fin24's sister publication City Press.

Bystanders look on as paramedics try to free passengers trapped in a taxi after a bridge collapsed on the M1 highway near a busy offramp leading to Sandton, South Africa October 14, 2015. One person was killed and 17 were injured when a bridge collapsed over Johannesburg's main motorway on Wednesday, local emergency services said. The tangled wreckage of the metal, red-colored bridge was sprawled across Johannesburg's M1 highway near a busy offramp leading to the Sandton financial district where the stock exchange is located, snarling rush-hour traffic. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Leon Malan of Malan & Mohale Attorneys in Pretoria said if the 23 injured victims and the relatives of the two people who died decided to sue, they would have to ensure they had proof of what caused the collapse, City Press reported on Sunday.

Murray & Roberts Group Chief Executive Henry Laas said on Thursday there are a number of investigations underway to determine the cause or causes of the collapse of the bridge support structure.

He however could not say when the investigations would be concluded.

See also: Murray & Roberts investigates M1 bridge collapse, 3 dead

The Department of Labour and the City of Johannesburg have also started their own investigations into the tragedy.

Mokgadi Pela, spokesperson for the department of labour, told City Press it would issue a report on its preliminary investigation next week.

Laas meanwhile resorted to full page advertisements in the Sunday press to reiterate the construction group's commitment to support the victims and their families and to urgently, but accurately determine the cause(s) of the structure's collapse.

The R4.5bn construction company said last week it would compensate the victims and relatives by "covering their costs". – Fin24

Source: http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Property/Murray-Roberts-could-face-civil-suit-report-20151018

City of Johannesburg