On May 23, 2004, the roof of Terminal 2E at Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport collapsed, killing 4 people and injuring 7. The cause was a structural failure in the reinforced concrete of a vault. A lengthy criminal proceeding for involuntary manslaughter against ADP and three other companies ensued. The law firm was tasked with defending all ADP employees who might be implicated. None were brought before the court or even placed under investigation.
This case marks a trend that is also evident in other fields, such as aviation. Only the liability of legal entities was established in this disaster. However, it took 14 years to secure a conviction against the legal entities. This once again raises the question of the appropriateness of the criminal prosecution system for accidents—a practice rarely seen outside of France and completely ignored in common law countries.