Milwaukee Kilbourn bridge death, man's family files civil lawsuit
Rose Marie and Richard Dujardin
MILWAUKEE - The family of Richard Dujardin, the man who died after Milwaukee's Kilbourn Avenue bridge opened while he was on it in 2022, has filed a civil lawsuit against the city and several others.
Civil lawsuit filed
What they're saying:
The lawsuit was filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Aug. 12, nearly three years to the day since the incident. It claims negligence on the part of the defendants, including a faulty camera system, led to Dujardin's death.
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It also claims a violation of the state's "Safe Place" statute, which mandates public buildings and places of employment – including the Kilbourn Avenue bridge – have "safety devices and safeguards for the protection of employees and frequenters."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for "pain and suffering," "mental distress," funeral expenses and more.
Milwaukee fatal Kilbourn Bridge fall, video shows desperate rescue effort
For the first time since Richard Dujardin fell from a raised Kilbourn Bridge in August, we’re seeing video of the desperate attempt to save him.
2022 Kilbourn bridge death
The backstory:
Dujardin was crossing the Kilbourn Avenue bridge over the Milwaukee River when it started to open on Aug. 15, 2022. He was hard of hearing and tried to grab onto the bridge's side rail, but he fell 71 feet.
No criminal charges were filed in connection to Dujardin's death. The Milwaukee Police Department's investigation included an interview with the bridge operator regarding his specific responsibilities, an inspection of the area in which the bridge operator carries out his operational duties, a review of a nearby traffic camera that recorded much of the incident, and interviews with other witnesses.
Dujardin was visiting Milwaukee from Providence, Rhode Island at the time.
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Dig deeper:
At the time of Dujardin's death in 2022, the DPW said it was operating 20 bridges as required by the U.S. Coast Guard. Ten of those bridges were controlled by an operator stationed at a remote location – a practice in effect for decades.
"Bridge houses" are responsible for controlling multiple bridges, the DPW said, and only one bridge is supposed to be moving at a time. Operators use a real-time video feed to inspect each bridge before, during and after a bridge's opening. The DPW said the Water Street bridge house operated the Kilbourn Avenue bridge and others.
The opening sequence for the Kilbourn Avenue bridge was horns sounding for marine traffic, followed by bells for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Lights then flash and traffic gates go down before the bridge opens.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced court filings related to the civil lawsuit, as well as prior coverage of the investigation related to Dujardin's death.