A woman who was injured in a rideshare when a portion of a tower crane collapsed in downtown Fort Lauderdale is suing the general contractor, subcontractors and developer of the luxury apartment tower under construction.
Gemmalyn Castillo sued West Palm Beach-based Kast Construction, Deerfield Beach Maxim Crane Works, Phoenix Rigging & Erecting, Atlanta-based Gables Residential Services and CG Riverwalk alleging negligence and seeking more than $50 million in damages. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Broward County Circuit Court. CG Riverwalk is the Gables Residential affiliate developing the project.
The crane fell at the Gables Riverwalk site, a 43-story building that’s under construction at 333 North New River Drive East. Kast began work on the Fort Lauderdale project in 2021.
The accident occurred in early April when a platform for equipment staging failed and caused the partial collapse of the metal crane, killing one construction worker and injuring three others. Two people were transported to the hospital and one person with minor injuries refused treatment.
Castillo was “crushed by the impact of the heavy crane and suffered severe and serious head and facial trauma,” the complaint alleges. An image of Castillo shows she was bleeding from an open wound on her head. The car she was in was traveling across the Southeast Third Avenue bridge.
The lawsuit alleges that Kast and the other defendants were obligated “to conduct their construction activities, including the maintenance, operation, construction, and supervision of the subject crane such that those activities would not cause a danger to the general public.”
Castillo’s attorney, Judd Rosen of Goldberg & Rosen, said his client, a mother of four children, is also seeking answers and accountability. “We’ll be sending our depositions to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.
Rosen, who was one of the lead attorneys in the Surfside condo collapse litigation, said no one has contacted Castillo to check on her, referring to OSHA, the police and other authorities. He said she suffered from a brain injury after she was trapped in a Tesla that locked automatically.
Kast Construction, Gables Residential and Maxim Crane Works did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A website for Phoenix Rigging & Erecting was not working as of Friday.
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