GENOA, ITALY — Deliveries of verdicts began on Thursday, July 16, 2026, for 57 defendants in the trial over the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse. The trial addresses criminal liability for the disaster that killed 43 people when a 200-meter section of the Morandi highway bridge collapsed during a rainstorm on the morning of August 14, 2018.

The defendants include former executives of highway operator Autostrade per L’Italia, experts from its engineering company SPEA, and former officials from Italy’s Infrastructure and Transport Ministry. Most face charges including negligent disaster and multiple counts of manslaughter stemming from alleged failures to maintain the bridge. The charges against the defendants range from multiple manslaughter to falsifying documents.

Prosecutors argued that years of maintenance neglect led to the collapse and demanded combined sentences totaling nearly 400 years for all defendants. They alleged that the collapse was caused by the rupture of load-bearing cables inside the stay of the bridge’s ninth pillar, which were corroded over its 51-year lifespan. The defendants deny wrongdoing and argue the fault was caused by a construction defect.

The trial began in July 2022 and spanned more than 280 hearings over four years. Earlier in the proceedings, Autostrade and its subsidiary reached a deal on corporate liability, paying roughly 30 million euros in financial penalties. The Morandi bridge, which opened in 1967, was 1,182 meters long and was designed by architect Riccardo Morandi. It featured three A-shaped concrete pylons and concrete-encased stay cables.

Claudia Possetti, 47, was among the 43 people killed in the collapse. Her sister, Egle Possetti, heads a committee to preserve the memory of the bridge victims. “I lost my sister, her two children, my brother-in-law and even their little dog. That’s where my determination comes from — to make sure they receive justice and that their deaths were not in vain,” Egle Possetti said.

“Responsibility doesn’t stop at the top. Autostrade, SPEA and the Transport Ministry all had roles to play. I hope the state’s responsibility also emerges clearly.”

Raffaele Caruso, a lawyer representing victims’ families, stated, “Our expectation is to feel our pain recognized … and to have it acknowledged that this did not happen by chance, but because of serious failures in maintenance.” He added, “From 1993 onward, the problem was known. We had three identical pylons. Two had already shown the same defect, and no one seriously asked whether the third one had it as well.”

Following the 2018 collapse, local officials declared a 12-month state of emergency in Genoa and promised 5 million euros to rescue efforts. The old viaduct's remains were demolished with two explosions in early 2019. A new bridge designed by architect Renzo Piano opened in 2020.

The verdicts mark the culmination of a lengthy judicial process examining systemic failures in infrastructure oversight. The case has drawn national attention to the responsibilities of both private operators and public authorities in maintaining critical transportation structures. With 43 lives lost and extensive public investment required for reconstruction, the trial’s outcome carries significant implications for accountability in Italy’s infrastructure management.

Autostrade chief executive Arrigo Giana, whose company already accepted corporate liability, said earlier, “The actions and decisions of some people left indelible scars. Offering today the apology that was not made then is, for us, a moral imperative that goes beyond establishing legal responsibility and the course of justice toward the truth.” The ongoing delivery of individual verdicts will determine whether criminal culpability is assigned to specific officials and engineers for the decades-long maintenance and inspection choices that preceded the disaster.