Massachusetts to file civil suit against 15 Big Dig contractors
BOSTON — Charging that sections of the Big Dig tunnel system here were so defective that “it was just a matter of time before a tragedy occurred,” the state attorney general said Monday that he would sue 15 companies involved in the project.
Atty. Gen. Thomas F. Reilly said the civil lawsuit to be filed today in no way abrogated a criminal investigation against project manager Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff and other contractors on the $14.6-billion network of highways and tunnels that run under Boston.
Reilly’s civil suit stems from the July 10 death of a Boston woman when two-ton ceiling panels fell on the car in which she was a passenger. The family of 38-year-old Milena Del Valle has filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit against nine Big Dig construction companies and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.
The attorney general said Monday that the Big Dig contractors named in his lawsuit were negligent in using epoxy anchor bolts to secure the massive ceiling panels.
“If you were going to hang concrete panels that weigh about 2 tons apiece and you expect this system to be secure, you’d better get it right -- or don’t do it at all,” Reilly said at a news conference.
After examining the damage and reviewing reams of documents, Reilly said, “It’s clear to me that they didn’t get it right. The consequences were great. A woman lost her life.”
Andrew Paven, a spokesman for Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, said Monday that the firm would have no comment.
Reilly said a criminal investigation that could result in manslaughter charges remains ongoing. He said he felt compelled to file the civil suit because of a statute that could set a Nov. 29 deadline for civil action connected with certain parts of the Big Dig.
His suit does not specify monetary damages. But by alleging gross negligence -- one of several charges -- the attorney general’s office could circumvent a $150-million cap on damages negotiated by Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff as part of its construction management contract.
Reilly said state officials were not named in his suit because the contractors were responsible for “quality oversight” on the tunnels that link Logan International Airport with the Massachusetts Turnpike as well as the submerged highway that replaced the old, elevated freeway.
Construction on the Big Dig, the largest public works effort in U.S. history, began in 1991.
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