Settlement reached in St. Marys building collapse

CELINA - The family of a 41-year-old St. Marys man killed in a building collapse last summer reached a wrongful death settlement of over $650,000 last week with the building's owner.

Auglaize County Probate Judge Mark Spees approved a wrongful death claim of $682,500 against Todd Klosterman's Klosterman Vested Interests LLC to the estate of Christopher R. Brown on Thursday.

The claim was approved after counsel engaged in "lengthy negotiations," per court documents. The settlement was the maximum claim they could request from Klosterman Vested's insurance policy, the family's attorney Michael Wright said.   

The funds will be allocated as follows: $227,500 to Wright & Schulte for attorneys fees; $200 to Wright & Schulte for case expenses; $4,870.14 to Christopher's father Allan to reimburse funeral expenses; $2,237.88 to Reeves & Sherrick Co. for a claim against Christopher's estate; $223,845.99 to Allan; and $223,845.99 to Christopher's mother Karen.

"They were glad that he was held accountable. But you know, there's no amount of money that can bring back a loved one that would make you feel better about the loss of a loved one," Wright said. "They were just happy that there was some accountability and that he was held responsible for Christopher's death."

Klosterman owned the building at 305 E. Spring St. in St. Marys that Christopher Brown, 41, and Kevin Sharp, 56, St. Marys, were set to survey at around 10:30 a.m. July 31, 2025, in preparation for an eventual structural remodeling.

However, before they got all the way inside of it, Klosterman previously said, the men heard a noise coming from the building and quickly scattered. Brown was killed in the ensuing collapse. Sharp was severely injured.

The building was condemned and demolished that night.

In addition to being the property owner, Klosterman also owns Pro Fit HVAC LLC, the company that employed Sharp and Brown for the work.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an investigation into the incident immediately after it happened, with an OSHA official on scene during the search and rescue process.

Four months later, OSHA issued Klosterman three "serious" initial citations, totaling a proposed penalty of $41,706, on Nov. 13.

The violations, which came with a fine of $13,902 each, were related to preparatory operations; general safety and health provisions; and safety training and education.

Klosterman contested the citations before the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission on Dec. 10. The case remains open.

Sharp and his attorney, Jedidiah Bressman of Columbus, were a part of settlement negotiations, though information regarding his possible settlement was unavailable by press time.

County prosecutor Ben Elder told The Daily Standard on March 11 that his office was still reviewing the incident for possible criminal charges.

An attorney for Klosterman could not be reached.