Community Corner

Haverford Grad's Parents File Wrongful Death Complaint in Philly Building Collapse

Mary Lea Simpson was one of four people killed when a Center City Philadelphia building collapsed in June.

(Written by Lanie Blackmer.)

The family members of Mary Lea Simpson — who died in June when a building adjacent to the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Center City Philadelphia collapsed — filed for a wrongful death complaint on Tuesday.

Simpson, who was 24, was a Haverford High School and New England Institute of Art graduate. She and a friend were shopping at the thrift store when an adjacent building collapsed on the store and killed her, her friend, and four others while injuring 13.

A press release names numerous parties as defendants, including The Salvation Army, developer Richard Basciano, STB Investments Corporation, demolition contractor Griffin Campbell, equipment operator Sean Benschop and architect Plato Marinakos.

Law offices of Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer, Brecher & Miller — located in Center City Philadelphia — will be representing the family.

Simpson was the youngest of the six who died in the building collapse.


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