35W bridge collapse victims seek punitive damages

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Victims of the deadly 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse are seeking punitive damages against an engineering firm that evaluated the bridge's structural integrity before it fell.

In documents filed Monday, attorneys representing 34 victims and surviving family members are asking a judge to allow them to seek punitive damages in their case against URS Corp.

The filing says the San Francisco-based engineering company deliberately disregarded the bridge victims' safety.

A spokesman for URS didn't immediately respond to a voicemail message.

Hennepin County Judge Deborah Hedlund will hear the victims' request on July 15.

The Interstate 35W bridge buckled and fell into the Mississippi River during the evening rush hour on Aug. 1, 2007, killing 13 and injuring 145.

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