Search and Rescue personnel work after the partial collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida.
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) - A judge says preserving evidence is critical to understanding why a Florida oceanfront condominium collapsed and to protecting the legal rights of victims and others.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said at a hearing Wednesday that evidence will be available to determine the cause of the June 24, Champlain Towers South collapse, as well as, for lawsuits filed in the aftermath.
The 12-story condominium building in Surfside collapsed for unknown reasons, killing 98 people and leaving dozens more homeless.
Hanzman says the lawsuits will be combined into a single class action affecting everyone with claims, including renters who lost possessions.
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