Landowner Slapped With Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Deadly Hawaii Dam Break
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Families of six of the seven people killed when a century-old earthen dam burst on the island of Kauai in March have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the property’s owners. The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges the area surrounding the reservoir was illegally graded by landowner James H. Pflueger, causing the March 14 dam failure that unleashed more than 300 million gallons of water. The water cut a three-mile path of destruction to the sea. Attorneys representing the victims’ families said Pflueger repeatedly refused the state’s request to inspect the property, a claim that Pflueger’s attorney denied. The lawsuit alleges Pflueger, a retired auto dealer, knew about seepage from the dam, but did nothing about the problem. Pflueger’s attorney, Bill McCorriston, said the state was aware of safety risks at the Kaloko dam as early as 1982, but did not share the information with the public or Pflueger. He said Pflueger, who bought the property in 1987, has allowed inspectors onto it on many occasions, adding the lawsuit contains many factual errors. |