A jury is awarding $24,500 to Marshall County Health Department to end a six year-long lawsuit over construction-related issues with its new facility.
The health department sought $2.2 million in damages against Cleaver Construction Company of Murray.
Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnall said the new building was nearly complete in 2012 when an architect informed the health department that there were structural issues and several violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
After a long legal battle, Darnall said the Marshall County Health Department Board is ready to move on.
“Everybody is just glad that it’s over. Well we hope it’s over and that we can resolve it with the jury verdict. But it’s been six years of twists and turns,” Darnall said.
The health department spent nearly $4 million on the initial construction of the building and an additional $2 million on fixes for seismic bracing and ADA compliance.
Darnall said Cleaver Construction never admitted to any wrongdoing and they have 30 days to appeal the current ruling.
The health department has also received an undisclosed settlement from architect Kevin Perry.
