The woman who was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed Salvation Army building in Center City after 13 hours has been awarded $95.6 million of a $227 million settlement in the case.
The $227 million settlement was announced in February following a nearly five-month civil trial in the 2013 Market Street collapse that left seven dead and 12 injured, according to plaintiffs' attorneys.
Mariya Plekan, who lost both of her legs due to the collapse, was awarded the largest portion of the settlement. In fact, "the award is the largest recovery for an injured person in Pennsylvania history," her lawyers said in a statement Thursday.
Nineteen plaintiffs, including the families of the seven killed in the June 5, 2013, collapse, sued six defendants, including the owner of a construction project undergoing demolition and the Salvation Army, whose store was flattened by a fourth-story wall of brick and mortar.
One of the lead plaintiffs' attorneys, Robert Mongeluzzi, said in a statement when the original settlement was announced that the settlement is "epic in dimension, fair, just, and, most importantly, a powerful deterrant to all those in any business or organization, at any level, whether they wear a suit or a uniform, who try to cut corners, save a buck, shove safety aside and put human life at risk."
The Salvation Army also issued a statement at the time: "Our deepest sympathy remains with the victims and their families through this extremely difficult time. We pray for the healing of our community. The Salvation Army continues to serve those in need, with compassion, as we have for more than 137 years in Philadelphia."
