New claims filed on behalf of six people killed in Oso mudslide
Apr 29, 2014, 5:38 PM | Updated: 6:12 pm
New claims against Snohomish County and the Department of Natural Resources argue officials knew about the threat but failed to notify residents of the neighborhood devastated by the Oso mudslide.
The claims were filed Tuesday on behalf of the estates of Shane and Katie Ruthven, their young children, Wyatt Ruthven and Hunter Ruthven, and their paternal grandparents, JuDee and Lewis Vandenburg, said Guy Michelson, who represents the families.
The two families lived in neighboring houses on Steelhead Drive, which was buried in the March 22 slide. They are among the 41 killed.
“Based upon the information that was available, we believe that the county did not act reasonably in view of the documented risk of a catastrophic slide, and basically residents in the line of fire were left in the dark about that potential risk,” says Michelson.
The claim gives the county 60 days to respond before the parties are free to file a lawsuit. It does not specify a dollar amount, but will likely reach into the millions.
Michelson says the goal is not to get rich, but to prompt the state and county to do more to communicate risks to others.
“It is devastating for the surviving members of the families to be going through this,” he says. “If there’s something they’re looking for out of this, it’s that changes will be made such that it reduces the likelihood other families will have to go through this.”
The claims are the second filed against the county and state since the slide. A $3.5 million claim was filed April 18 on behalf of the widow of slide victim Thomas Durnell. More are expected.
