Victim’s father files application for $22 million class-action lawsuit after Old Montreal fire | 24CA News
The father of one of many victims of the Old Montreal filed an utility on Friday for the authorization of a $22 million class-action lawsuit in opposition to, amongst others, the constructing’s proprietor and Airbnb.
Randy Sears, the daddy of Nathan Sears, a 35-year-old man who died within the March 16 hearth that claimed six different lives, is the plaintiff within the case earlier than the Quebec Superior Court.
Flowers and messages are proven at a makeshift memorial close to the positioning of the constructing, Thursday, March 23, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
According to the doc offered on Friday, the negligence lawsuit targets the proprietor of the constructing, Émile Benamor, the proprietor of the short-term rental items, Tariq Hasan, who listed a number of items for lease on Airbnb, in addition to Airbnb itself.
Of the seven individuals who misplaced their lives, six had been staying in short-term leases with out permits.
The lawsuit, but to be licensed, would come with relations of the occupants who perished within the hearth and anybody who was within the constructing that day.
At least 22 folks had been inside, all of whom doubtless have relations who had been additionally affected by the occasions, the doc says.
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The class motion declare seeks $22 million in punitive damages for violating members’ rights to private security and dignity beneath the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Mr. Sears is looking for to be the category consultant on this matter.
The final two victims had been recognized on Tuesday by Coroner Gehane Kamel. They are Charlie Lacroix, 18, and Walid Belkahla, additionally 18.
In doing so, the our bodies of all of the victims who perished within the main hearth have been faraway from the rubble, with the invention of two new our bodies, Monday morning.
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Five victims had beforehand been formally recognized: Nathan Sears, 35 years outdated, An Wu, Dania Zafar and Saniya Khan, all 31 years outdated, and Camille Maheux, 76 years outdated.
In addition to the seven individuals who died, 9 folks had been injured and brought to hospital and 6 had been unhurt.
Now that the victims have all been accounted for, the investigation will concentrate on discovering the trigger and circumstances of the hearth.
Many questions have been raised, together with the emergency exits and the shortage of home windows in some items.
READ MORE: Montrealer feels ‘grateful’ to be alive after surviving lethal heritage constructing hearth
In the wake of the tragedy, Airbnb introduced that it will take away unlawful listings in Quebec from its website. The Quebec authorities has pledged to introduce a invoice to power different platforms to do the identical.
–with information from Alessia Simona Maratta, Global News
© 2023 The Canadian Press
