Jury Faults Builder, Others in 2005 New York Dam Break

A New York jury has found a construction company and design firm mostly at fault for the 2005 collapse of a newly built dam and millions of dollars in water damage to properties in Fort Ann.

About 200 homes were evacuated after the dam crumbled at the south end of the mile-long Hadlock Pond, about 55 miles north of Albany.

A seven-week trial ended Thursday when the jury found Kubricky Construction Co. 45 percent liable. The rest of the liability was spread among HTE Northeast Engineering at 27 percent, the town of Fort Ann at 23 percent and Atlantic Testing Laboratories Ltd. at 5 percent.

It hasn’t yet been determined how much the roughly 110 plaintiffs are entitled to, but damage was estimated in the millions of dollars.

Appeals are expected in the case.