Gym and Auto Belay Manufacturer to Pay $6M in Settlement for Auto Belay Accident

September 21, 2023

Seattle’s Vertical World and Colorado-based manufacturer C3 have settled in a lawsuit following a severe climbing accident that occurred on August 1, 2019. The climber, Michael Vandivere, sustained a 30-foot fall and subsequently suffered a number of severe injuries, including 12 pelvic fractures, a traumatic brain injury, lung injuries, bladder laceration, and other fractures. C3 Manufacturing has agreed to pay $5 million and Vertical World will pay an additional $1 million.

The law office representing Vandivereclaims that Vandivere fell due to a defective auto-belay device, improper supervision by Vertical World staff, and inadequate training for climbers by Vertical World. Despite using the device properly, the climber fell when the auto-belay device failed to function as intended. Climbing(POSSIBLE PAYWALL)