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Judge Approves $106 Million Hard Rock Hotel Collapse Settlement
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Judge Approves $106 Million Hard Rock Hotel Collapse Settlement
NEW ORLEANS, La. — Nearly seven years after the deadly collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in downtown New Orleans, a judge has approved a $106 million settlement resolving hundreds of claims connected to the disaster.
Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese approved the settlement on August 6, bringing an end to more than six years of litigation involving victims, businesses, developers, contractors and insurers.
The settlement involves 490 plaintiffs and 21 defendants connected to the October 12, 2019 collapse of the 18-story hotel project at Canal and Rampart streets. Among those covered by the settlement are injured construction workers, businesses impacted by the collapse, other people who suffered damages and the families of the three workers who were killed. The workers who lost their lives were Anthony Magrette, Quinnyon Wimberly and Jose Ponce Arreola.
The hotel was still under construction when portions of the upper floors suddenly collapsed on October 12, 2019. The disaster sent debris crashing onto the streets below, killed three workers and injured others. The collapse also forced authorities to close portions of the surrounding downtown area and created significant disruptions for nearby businesses. Two damaged construction cranes remained towering above the site following the collapse and were later brought down with explosives.
The disaster led to years of investigations, lawsuits and questions over who should ultimately be held responsible. A grand jury later declined to issue criminal indictments in connection with the collapse, but the civil litigation continued. The City of New Orleans was among those that pursued legal action, filing a lawsuit in 2020 against the project’s owners and other parties involved in its construction. Numerous lawsuits were eventually consolidated as attorneys worked through claims involving workers, victims’ families, businesses and other parties affected by the disaster.
The newly approved agreement totals approximately $106 million, but exactly how much each claimant will receive has not been made public. Individual settlement amounts and the contributions made by individual defendants remain confidential. A court-appointed special master will oversee distribution of the money, with payments determined based on individual claims, injuries, financial losses and other damages.
The defendants include parties connected to the development and construction of the hotel, including project owner and developer 1301 Canal Development, contractors and insurers.
The settlement effectively closes one of the largest remaining legal chapters stemming from a disaster that became one of the most visible construction tragedies in recent New Orleans history. For the hundreds of workers, families and businesses involved, the agreement comes nearly seven years after the Hard Rock Hotel collapsed and permanently changed a busy corner of downtown New Orleans.
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