Terry Weaver

The weather on July 7 quickly turned windy, almost violently so. The sudden gusts, which reached 40 miles per hour, capsized a surfboarding 55-year-old into the waters of White Rock Lake, where he drowned. Even more dramatic was the scene a dozen miles to the north, when a construction crane toppled into UTD’s Arts & Technology Building.

Killed in the collapse were Terry Weaver and Thomas Fairbrother Jr., who were working at the time for Harirson Crane and Hoist. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has six months to investigate fatal workplace accidents, is still investigating. Meanwhile, industry experts concluded from photos taken at the site that bolts connecting two crane segments appeared to have been removed prematurely, which might have precipitated the fall.

However it happened, it was only a matter of time before a lawsuit hit the courts, which happened Friday. According to Courthouse News, Tammy Weaver, Terry Weaver’s widow, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Dallas County court against Harrison Crane, Baten Steel Erectors and the general contractor, Hunt Construction.

The suit claims that Weaver’s death was the direct result of the crane’s dangerous conditions and that the companies could and should have taken steps to ensure the safety of their workers. Tammy Weaver is seeking unspecified damages for wrongful death and negligence, among other claims. A number listed for Harrison went straight to a busy signal.