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Winston Cup Series




Thursday, August 15

Twelve injured fans settled suits
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Twelve people injured when a walkway at Lowe's Motor Speedway collapsed after a NASCAR race two years ago settled lawsuits against the speedway and the walkway's builder.

A final agreement was reached Thursday morning, plaintiffs' lawyer Martin Brackett said. Terms of the settlement are confidential, but Brackett said some plaintiffs will receive lump-sum payments, while others will be paid over time.

A jury trial for the first four plaintiffs had been scheduled to begin Monday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court.

More than 100 people were hurt when the walkway over U.S. 29 in Concord collapsed as fans left the speedway complex after the May 20, 2000, running of The Winston all-star race.

No one was killed, but 97 people were hospitalized, some for nearly a month.

Lawsuits named as defendants the speedway; parent company Speedway Motorsports; Tindall Corp. of Spartanburg, S.C., which designed and built the walkway's concrete support beams; and Anti Hydro International Inc. of Flemington, N.J.

Tindall had blamed an Anti Hydro grout used in the walkway for corroding metal cables inside the 320-foot walkway.

Brackett said he did not know how the defendants divided financial responsibility for the settlement.

Calls to Tindall and lawyers for Anti Hydro and the speedway were not immediately returned Thursday.

North Carolina bridge inspectors did not examine the original walkway because it was built on the speedway's property. They did monitor construction of a replacement walkway, which opened less than five months later.


 
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