Thursday, 4:30 PM
Second lawsuit filed in deadly scaffolding collapse
By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff
The family of a 41-year-old construction worker, who was one of three people killed in an April 3 downtown Boston scaffolding collapse, today sued two firms involved in the construction project at Emerson College.
Robert E. Beane's family said Macomber Builders, which ran the work site, and Fraco Ltd. which made the scaffold, were negligent and reckless.
It is the second lawsuit stemming from the incident, which led to widespread concerns about the safety of local construction sites. The family of another worker killed, Romildo Silva, 27, filed a suit in April.
Macomber Builders, in a report issued shortly after the deaths, said workers had improperly dismantled the massive scaffold, leading the multi-ton platform to plummet and crush to death Dr. Michael Ty, 28, who was driving by on Boylston Street.
But the Beane family lawsuit alleges that Fraco provided inadequate and faulty plans for securing the scaffold, and that both Macomber and Fraco did not adequately inspect or monitor the scaffolding.
While the Macomber report and the lawsuit offer sharply different accounts of the accident's cause, a federal investigation slated to conclude before the end of September will lay out a detailed explanation for the deaths based on a wide array of evidence collected from the scene.
At a Cambridge law office this morning, Robert Beane's mother Ida said she hopes her family's lawsuit will bring change to the construction industry.
"No family should have to go through the loss and devastation we have," she said. "You shouldn't have to bury a son."
