- Residents of the collapsed Florida condominium filed a class action lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleges that the condominium association disregarded standard safety principles.
- At least four people were killed in the accident and 159 residents are still unaccounted for.
The first lawsuit was filed today against the
The class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of Manuel Drezner, a tenth-floor resident of Champlain Towers South, by the Brad Sohn Law Firm. The suit was filed on behalf of both Drezner and "similarly situated persons" and alleges that the condo association failed "to protect and safeguard their lives and property adequately by knowingly disregarding standard safety principles, despite obvious risks."
The complainants also allege that the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association's lawyer, Ken Direktor, had previously said that "repair needs had been identified" regarding structural issues that had yet to be fixed. Direktor said on Thursday that the building was scheduled for a 40-year re-certification this year before it collapsed.
In total, the lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in total damages, exclusive of attorney fees.
At least four people were killed in the condominium's collapse and 159 people are still unaccounted for. Rescue teams have been working around the clock to clear debris and locate survivors and bodies with little success.