Did The Government Cover Up Rodman Dam Dangers?

An attorney is claiming that both local and federal governments knew about serious dangers concerning the controversial Rodman Dam. The attorney was able to recover documents related to inspections of the dam dating back to 2017. This attorney contracted an engineering firm to inspect the dam itself. According to the federal government, the dam is “low risk”. However, the engineering firm concluded that the dam was high-risk having the potential to put lives and property at risk.

In this case, the attorney is suing because the dam could cause millions of dollars worth of damage downstream and even imperil the lives of those who live downstream. The engineering firm concluded that the dam is at “high risk” of rupturing causing devastation downstream.

Battles of the Dam 

The dam is currently considered a cash cow for those living near the reservoir. They believe that the dam will help bring more folks to the area for fishing and that the reservoir might one day provide potable drinking water. However, state authorities believe that there is a 0% possibility that the reservoir will ever provide drinking water. The belief, however, is keeping the dam in place and potentially putting nearby residents at risk.

Part of the issue is that the dam problem is being litigated by environmental lawyers who are stressing the potential impact on nearby wildlife. However, people and their property have better standing in court. If the dam can be shown to be conclusively unstable, then the downstream residents are certainly at risk if the dam ruptures. Meanwhile, certain interests are ensuring that the dam remains in place and calling allegations against them untrue.

Who is to Blame?

Ultimately, it’s the government’s job to ensure that the dam is safe. The dam has passed several government-run tests. We don’t know why, but that opinion isn’t universally shared by those who have inspected the dam. Further, claims concerning the dam providing potable water are not substantiated by anyone within the government, yet proponents keep touting that benefit.

In this situation, if the dam ruptures and kills some folks while destroying the property of others, the individuals who have sustained economic or personal injuries would have no viable remedy to recover money. The government can be sued, but the cap would be $350,000 for all of the potential plaintiffs to split among themselves. That likely wouldn’t cover the cost of 40% of one area home.

In other words, the government would be liable, but there would be no remedy for those injured, at least not one that actually compensates them for their damages. There is a possibility that the company that built the dam could also be sued, but sovereign immunity may be extended to a contractor working on behalf of the government.

In other words, the situation is not good.

Talk to a Miami Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured by the negligence of another company, individual, or government agency, call the Miami personal injury attorneys at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.

Resource:

orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-prem-rodman-dam-danger-revealed-20210310-dtqn26tmmjg5po4twobp4gqz3u-story.html

https://www.goldfarbpa.com/exploding-takata-airbag-results-in-new-lawsuit-against-mercedes/