Minnesota Lawyer Blog

State Senator Ron Latz said in a press release yesterday that the Joint House/Senate Subcommittee on Claims has been studying the state’s responsibility to victims of the I-35W bridge collapse and will hold hearings to analyze options available to the state of Minnesota.

“We have been gathering information about the potential scope of claims, about how other states have handled similar situations and about the legal issues relating to the tort claims cap,” he said. “Now is the time to hear firsthand from the people whose lives were affected and who now must recover both physically and emotionally.”

Latz noted that this will be a detailed process and it will take time to determine both need and extent.

“Since the day after the bridge collapse, the subcommittee began gathering information and initiated consultations with the leadership in both the House and the Senate, the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office,” he said. “The time is now appropriate to request public input in this process we’re undertaking. The Claims Subcommittee’s role is to consider and respond to claims against the state and to think about the financial repercussions of such claims.”