The insurance companies representing Morabito Consultants have agreed to settle all claims involving the structural engineering firm related to the June 2021 Champlain Towers South Condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, according to a spokesperson from the engineering firm.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland previously denied Morabito Consultants Inc.’s motion to dismiss the suit filed by Continental Casualty Co. and National First Insurance Co. of Hartford seeking declaratory judgment. The insurers asked the court to rule they have no obligation to defend or indemnify Morabito in connection with other suits.
Chief Judge James K. Bredar also denied Morabito’s request to decline jurisdiction and dismiss the case under the Declaratory Judgment Act, finding the request “inappropriate” because of the circumstances of the case.
“The tragedy that occurred last year at the Champlain Towers South Condominium shocked and saddened the entire team at Morabito Consultants, and we continue to pray for all those who have been impacted by it,” a spokesperson for Morabito Consultants said in a statement.
Morabito Consultants is a structural engineering firm with offices in Maryland and Florida, and it was named as a defendant in various lawsuits of victims or family members killed or injured in the June 2021 condominium collapse. It provided structural engineering services to the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association in 2018 and 2020, according to Bredar’s opinion.
The firm said it performed its work at Champlain Towers South “consistent with the highest industry standards” and “denied that it is, in any way, liable for the collapse or the resulting damages.”
Details about the settlement are remaining confidential for the time being, a representative from Morabito Consultants told Law.com. The firm also stated its hopes that the settlement will provide compensation for the families to provide closure to the case.
A representative for the firm said, in conclusion, “We fully recognize that the losses suffered can never be fully compensated, but it is our sincere hope that this settlement helps to bring some closure to an incredibly painful chapter for all involved.”
A request for comment from the insurers’ attorneys at Ruggeri Parks Weinberg LLP was not immediately returned.
