{"id":5949,"date":"2022-12-17T20:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-17T20:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awkolaw.com\/?p=5949"},"modified":"2023-06-16T18:51:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T18:51:06","slug":"legal-battle-continues-over-skanska-barge-damage-to-pensacolas-three-mile-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.awkolaw.com\/legal-battle-continues-over-skanska-barge-damage-to-pensacolas-three-mile-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal battle continues over Skanska barge damage to Pensacola’s Three Mile Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

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PENSACOLA, Fla. — The legal battles continue over damage caused by Skanska barges during Hurricane Sally.<\/p>\n

The company tasked with building the Three Mile Bridge appealed a federal judge’s decision that would allow those who saw damage from their barges to sue them in state court.<\/p>\n

Attorney’s from three different local law firm’s presented oral arguments this week to the 11th district court of appeals in Georgia.<\/p>\n

They say lawsuits can’t move forward until a decision is made by appellate judges.<\/p>\n

“If we get the order we want out of the appeal, what we are hoping is it will open up the state courts and we can start trying these cases to a jury,” Levin Papantonio Rafferty Law Firm Attorney Brian Barr said. “That’s really what we want at the end of the day. We want to be able to put these facts in front of an Escambia County jury and let a jury decide what our clients damages are.”<\/p>\n

“I think it’s very important that there are people fighting for the interests of our community and we are doing our best to do that,” Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Law Firm Attorney Nikki Gunter said. “I think we’ve fought very [hard] sic<\/em> so far and we are not done.”<\/p>\n

Skanska is also trying to appeal a lower court ruling involving evidence that was destroyed — which could’ve been relevant to claims made against them.<\/p>\n

It could be months before the appeals court issues a decision.<\/p>\n

Read the full article at WEAR<\/a><\/p>\n

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Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Law Firm Attorney Nikki Gunter said about Skanska, “I think we’ve fought very hard so far and we are not done.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- The court must now find a new judge in the case against Skanska USA regarding Three Mile Bridge damage after the current judge recused himself from the case.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Judge Roger Vinson did so, he says, because the homeowners association in Portofino where he owns a condo filed a claim in the case on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deadline to file a claim against Skanska wrapped up Monday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Sam Geisler -- an attorney for law firm Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz -- says he counted around 985 claims in total. His firm filed 485 of those.<\/p>\n

\"Really, you have businesses of all shapes and sizes, from a one-person business all the way up to hundreds of employees,\" he said. \"Like Baptist, for example, filed a claim, along with all kinds of different businesses. And also municipalities, both counties, both cities -- Gulf Breeze and Pensacola -- filed claims.. ...Really just the level of filing shows just the breadth of effect Skanska's conduct has caused this region.\"<\/p>\n

Geisler says many filed right before the deadline. He believes those people likely wanted to have all the information and documentation ready before making the claim official.<\/p>\n

As the court works to replace Judge Vinson, Geisler says, if anything, it could impact future deadlines.<\/p>\n

In June, a judge will hear oral arguments, deciding if Maritime Law applies in this case. Regardless, a judge will then hear arguments on Sept. 13 about whether Skanska can be held liable for damages related to the closure.<\/p>\n

Until those deadlines, Geisler says both parties will file numerous documents.<\/p>\n

\"Even without the documents, it's hard to imagine how Skanska was not even just a little bit -- and that's all we need to show -- just a little bit negligent,\" he said. \"Considering in our position, they were grossly negligent, if not worse so.\"<\/p>\n

Skanska provided Channel 3 this statement on Tuesday:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Skanska is focused on repairing the Pensacola Bay Bridge as quickly and safely as possible. We remain committed to putting the full resources of our company forward and reconnecting the communities.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

Skanska plans to reopen Pensacola Bay Bridge the week of May 31.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Reopening a bridge that you were responsible for closing is not the end of accountability,\" Geisler said. \"It is really not even the beginning of accountability.\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

By: Olivia Iverson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date:

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