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Ottawa County being sued for Weaver House deck collapse

The lawsuit alleges that an inspection schedule would have led to the discovery of the deck's decaying wood.

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. - A lawsuit has been filed against Ottawa County and Ottawa County Parks and Recreation because of the Weaver House deck collapse that left 14 injured on June 15, 2017.

Filed on behalf of Patricia MacDonald, a Grand Haven resident, the lawsuit says that she fell when the deck collapsed and has since "suffered severe and permanently debilitating injuries to her left foot and ankle and also and injury to her neck." Her husband is also named as a plaintiff because the lawsuit says the injuries caused suffering "to the detriment of their marital relationship."

The county is being sued for over $25,000.

The Weaver House is located within Pine Bend Park, which is a park that is operated by Ottawa County. The house was originally built in 1901.

When the deck collapsed in June 2017, there were approximately 25 to 35 people on the deck attached to the historic Weaver House. The lawsuit says that "given the number of people on the deck, they did not exceed the reasonable load capacity of the deck."

The lawsuit also alleges that it is the county's responsibility to repair and maintain public buildings. It says that an inspection schedule would have led to the discovery of the deck's decaying wood.

An investigation was conducted after the collapse, and it showed a beam used in the middle of the deck was made out of weak material which caused the collapse.

Crews rebuilt the deck in fall 2017. County officials say the rebuild cost $99,000 and was covered by an insurance claim made by Ottawa County.

13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to Ottawa County's corporation counsel, Doug Van Essen. He has yet to provide a statement on the lawsuit.

Rose White is a digital producer for 13 on Your Side. You can contact her at rwhite@wzzm13.com or onTwitter.

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