Berkeley Balcony Collapse Victim Speaks Out To Prevent More Deaths

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- A victim of last year's Berkeley balcony collapse is speaking out about the worst night of her life and what the state can do to prevent future catastrophes.

Aoife Beary spoke Wednesday morning in Sacramento to urge the passage of a bill that would help regulators identify bad contractors.

Six Irish students were killed in the collapse in June 2015. Beary had been celebrating her 21st birthday.

She suffered major injuries and says her birthday will forever be a reminder of the loss of her best friends.

"I could never have imagined how it would have ended," she said. "All our lives have been irrevocably changed and life will never be the same for us again."

Investigators say poor waterproofing led to the collapse.

It was later discovered that the contractor had paid out $26 million in defect settlements in the past three years.