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Print This StoryLawsuit Filed Against Lonz Winery Owners
Suit Seeks $25,000 For All Injured
According to NewsChannel5, investigators have established it was a structural problem and not the weight of the crowd that caused the deck to break.
Investigators said that the remaining section of the terrace that collapsed should be torn down because it is not safe.
An unstable wall supporting the remaining terrace area at the winery could collapse at any time, Ottawa County Sheriff Craig Emahiser said.
About one-third of the 40-foot long terrace crumbled on Saturday, dropping revelers 20 feet into an old wine cellar. One man was killed and at least 75 others were injured.
Five of those injured filed a lawsuit against the winery's owners Wednesday in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court.
The class-action lawsuit was entered on behalf of everyone who was injured. It asked for a jury to determine the damages and said that each plaintiff should be entitled to at least $25,000.
The lawsuit also claimed that winery employees knew the terrace floor had started to crack before the accident.
The Associated Press reports that messages seeking comment from the winery's owners, Paramount Distilleries Inc. of Cleveland, were not returned on Wednesday.
The plaintiffs' attorneys asked that plans to demolish the terrace be stopped so that evidence is not destroyed.
Concern about the wall led authorities to close the area around the terrace and a road below the wall on Middle Bass Island. The winery has been closed indefinitely.
Investigators could not say whether the wall was weakened by the collapse or if it had been unstable before the accident.
Engineers who initially examined the wreckage said that they believe the collapse was triggered by a structural problem and not an overload of people. Authorities have not said whether the original structure was built poorly or if it had deteriorated.
A steel beam pulled from the area showed signs of deterioration, Emahiser said. But he added it was too early to determine whether the beam was to blame.
Paramount Distilleries has indicated that they are willing to tear down the terrace.
Investigators have removed chunks of concrete and pieces of steel supports that will be examined, said Bob Bratton, a deputy chief with the sheriff's department.
They would not talk about what they have learned from initial reviews of the site and interviews with witnesses because they don't want to jeopardize the investigation or any potential lawsuits, Bratton said.
About 100 people were on the terrace when it collapsed. It was built in 1950, according to tax records, at the old winery's century-old main building, a fortress-like mansion on the National Register of Historic Places.
The winery draws several thousand visitors on summer weekends.
This likely was going to be the winery's final season. State officials earlier this year announced plans to buy the property and turn it into a state park.
Previous Stories:
- July 4, 2000: Criminal Investigation Opened On Lonz Collapse
- July 3, 2000: Accident Victim Thankful To Be Alive
- July 3, 2000: Investigators Determine Why Terrace Collapsed
- July 3, 2000: Columbus Man Dies In Terrace Collapse
- July 2, 2000: Officials Investigate Winery Terrace Collapse
- July 1, 2000: Terrace Collapses With 80 To 100 People On It
Copyright 2002 by NewsNet5. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
