Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse - Aftermath

Aftermath

The engineers employed by Jack D. Gillum and Associates who had approved the final drawings were convicted by the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, and Land Surveyors of gross negligence, misconduct and unprofessional conduct in the practice of engineering; they all lost their engineering licenses in the states of Missouri and Texas and their membership with ASCE. While Jack D. Gillum and Associates itself was discharged of criminal negligence, it lost its license to be an engineering firm.

At least $140 million was awarded to victims and their families in both judgments and settlements in subsequent civil lawsuits; a large amount of this money was from Crown Center Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards which was the owner of the actual hotel real estate (like many hoteliers, Hyatt operates hotels for a fee as a management company, and does not usually own the hotel real estate). Life and health insurance companies probably absorbed even larger uncompensated losses in policy payouts.

The Hyatt tragedy remains a classic model for the study of engineering ethics and errors. As of 2001, a retired Jack Gillum was still occasionally accepting speaking engagements at engineering conferences, sharing his experiences with others in the hope that the mistakes which caused the Hyatt disaster will not be repeated.

After the disaster, the lobby was reconstructed with only one crossing on the second floor. Unlike the previous walkways, the new bridge is supported by several columns underneath it rather than being suspended from the ceiling. As a result, some floors of the hotel now have disconnected sections on opposite sides of the atrium, so it is necessary to go to the third floor to get to the other side.

Several rescuers suffered posttraumatic stress due to their experience, and relied upon each other in an informal support group. Jackhammer operator "Country" Bill Allman took his own life due to the stress.

The hotel was renamed the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in 1987, and again the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center in 2011. It has been renovated numerous times since, though the lobby retains the same layout and design. The hotel's owner announced a $13-million renovation as part of its re-flagging to the Sheraton brand to be completed in 2012.