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Closing Arguments Heard In Trial Over Deadly 2008 UES Crane Collapse

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Closing arguments are being heard in the civil trial of a crane company owner sued over a deadly 2008 crane collapse on the Upper East Side. The trial is said to be the longest jury trial in New York City history.

James Lomma was acquitted of manslaughter and other criminal charges in 2012, but the families of the two men killed in the collapse then sued him for wrongful death.

Crane operator Donald Leo, 30, and fellow worker Ramadan Kurtaj, 27, were killed when the crane collapsed on East 91st Street in May 2008 — two months after another crane collapse killed seven people in Manhattan.

The victims' families claim Lomma, the owner of New York Crane and Equipment, tried to save money by making a shoddy repair to the crane.

The jury has been hearing the case for over 110 days and has heard from over 60 witnesses.

Lomma's civil trial initially started in May 2014, but was derailed after Lomma was injured in a car crash.

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