Old East Dallas crane collapse: Attorneys argue real estate company, crane operator were negligent

DALLAS - A multimillion-dollar negligence case from a deadly crane collapse in Old East Dallas is now at trial after a courtroom dispute over evidence.  

Attorneys argued to a jury Wednesday that a real estate development company and crane operator are both to blame for the death of a 29-year-old Dallas woman. 

Kiersten Smith was killed when a crane collapsed on an Old East Dallas apartment complex nearly four years ago during a severe storm.

The jury learned that Smith had just shown her mother her wedding dress hours before heading home to the Elan City Lights apartment complex the night of June 9, 2019. 

Jury selection begins for first trial over Old East Dallas crane collapse

Smith was with her fiancé making soup and grilled cheese planning to watch Grey’s Anatomy when the crane suddenly crashed, the floor falling from underneath them. 

Smith’s fiancé was able to make his way out of the rubble. He found Smith and attempted CPR. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital. 

The attorney for Smith’s mother said she hired him to find out what went wrong and hold the companies accountable for her daughter’s death.

He told the jury, "The developer of the neighboring property under construction, Greystar, had no weather monitoring policies. The crane was out of inspection for two months. It was not placed in weather-vane mode and was not facing the right direction. There was also a Greystar advertisement-style sign at the top of the crane. Plaintiffs argued the sign grabbed the wind contributing to the collapse."

The defense for Biggie Crane expressed condolences for Smith’s family but then explained the company leased the crane to Greystar, the developer. 

The attorney said Biggie was not responsible for operating, supervising or inspecting the crane. They say the operator was a borrowed servant. 

However, Greystar's attorney argued, "The crane fell because it was not weather-vaned at the end of the operator's shift."

Greystar argues the crane operator worked for Biggie.

The jury is diverse and made up of five men and three women. Two of them will be alternates. 

The trial will resume Thursday and is expected to last two weeks.