$860 Million Verdict for Family of Woman Killed in Dallas Crane Collapse

On the evening of June 9, 2019, a severe storm moved through Old East Dallas with wind gusts recorded above 70 miles per hour. A construction crane that had been left in place at the Elan City Lights apartment complex broke free and crashed into the five-story building. Kiersten Smith, 29, was sitting on her couch in her apartment when the crane tore through the structure. She was planning her wedding. Five other residents were also injured.

The incident raised an immediate question: other cranes across Dallas survived the same storm. Plaintiffs' attorneys argued the answer came down to one decision made before the storm arrived. Greystar, the developer managing the construction project, had locked the crane in a fixed position rather than allowing it to "weather vane," a standard industry practice in which a crane's boom swings freely to point into the wind, reducing stress on the structure. By keeping the crane rigid, the plaintiffs argued, Greystar exposed the boom to the full force of the gusts. Bigge Crane and Rigging, which owned and leased the crane to the site, was also named as a defendant.

Trial began in Dallas County in April 2023. After nine days of testimony, the jury deliberated for six hours. The panel found Greystar fully liable. Bigge Crane and Rigging was cleared of fault.

The jury returned a verdict of $860,012,006. Smith's estate received $500 million. Her mother, Michele Williams, was awarded more than $340 million in combined damages, including $140 million for mental anguish, $50 million for loss of companionship, and additional future damages. Her father, James Kirkwood, received approximately $20 million. The verdict's final digits, 12006, were chosen deliberately to reflect Kiersten's apartment number at the Elan City Lights complex.

The case was tried by a team that included Jonathon Clark of Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, alongside Jason Itkin and Alexandra Poulson of Arnold & Itkin LLP and Michael Lyons of Lyons & Simmons LLP. TopVerdict.com ranked the result as the second-largest civil verdict in Texas for 2023. No post-verdict reduction has been reported in available coverage.