The Morandi bridge collapse: the first-instance judgment and what it means for business

On 16 July 2026 the Tribunale di Genova closed the first instance of the trial for the collapse of the Polcevera viaduct, which occurred on 14 August 2018. Of the fifty-seven defendants, thirty-two were convicted: the heaviest sentence, twelve years, was imposed on the former chief executive of the motorway concession holder, while part of the charges became time-barred. The written grounds are expected within three months and the defence has already announced an appeal: the decision is not final and the findings on liability may be revisited at later instances.

For companies running infrastructure or high-risk operations, the significant part is not the length of the sentences but the reasoning by which the court moves from omitted maintenance to positions of guarantee: delegations of functions, information flows to senior management, monitoring systems and the criteria for allocating resources. These are the same elements that, on the corporate liability side, define colpa di organizzazione (Italian organisational fault). Pending the written grounds — which will be the real working material both for the appeal and for anyone reviewing their compliance model — it is worth checking that decisions on safety and maintenance are documented, dated and traceable to an identifiable decision-making centre.

Summary note by Studio Legale Petrali, based on official legislative sources (Gazzetta Ufficiale, Normattiva). This text does not reproduce third-party contributions and does not constitute legal advice.