Jury awards $48 million in damages to 2 victims' families in New York crane collapse case

A jury has decided the families of two men killed in a New York City construction crane collapse should get $48 million in punitive damages from the crane's owner and his companies.

The jury ordered Monday that James Lomma (LOH'-mah) and his companies pay the families of Ramadan Kurtaj (koor-TAHZH') and Donald Leo in connection with the 2008 crane collapse on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Last week, the jury awarded $47.8 million in compensatory damages to the families.

The families' attorneys had said Lomma allowed an inferior repair.

Leo was operating the crane when it collapsed. He fell to his death. Kurtaj was crushed underneath.

Lomma's attorney hasn't responded to a call seeking comment.

Lomma was acquitted of manslaughter in 2012.