Family of woman killed by manhole cover suing MassDOT, contractors

BOSTON — The family of a woman killed while driving on the expressway in 2016 is suing MassDOT, claiming the state could have done more to keep drivers like her safe.

Caitlin Clavette, 35, a Milton teacher, was killed while on her way to work when a manhole cover came loose on I-93, at the foot of the O'Neill Tunnel, and went through her windshield.

Her death frightened commuters across the state.

A 6-page, wrongful-death lawsuit filed this week against MassDOT and two private contractors claims the manhole cover that killed Clavette was worn down and was place in the wrong frame.

That led to it flying up into the air.

The private contractors named in the lawsuit are AECOM out of California and Green International Affiliates from Westford.

The family's attorney, Brad Henry, showed Boston 25 news photographs of the manhole, which was able to move over time and eventually wear down enough to become airborne and led to Clavette's fatality.

"It was utterly preventable and it could have been any person," Henry said.

Clavette's brother, Andrew Clavette, told Boston 25 News that his sister's tragic death still hurts three years later.

"It’s something that certainly eats away at you, over time. It’s hard to think about what happened," he said.

After Clavette's death, MassDOT checked more than 1,100 manhole covers across the state. They started bolting down manhole covers along the highways and began conducting more rigorous physical testing.

But Andrew Clavette said he wants someone to be held resposible for what happened to his sister.

"Unfortunately, it’s become an exercise in finger pointing. We haven't had anyone step up and take accountability for it," he said.

In a statement, MassDOT said: "Ms. Clavette's death was a tragedy and the department's sympathies remain with her family. MassDOT will decline further comment on the pending litigation."

Boston 25 News also reached out to the two private contractors named in the lawsuit, but did not hear back.

The lawsuit does not say how much the family is seeking in damages.

Cox Media Group