$12M award upheld against Ontario municipality for horrific car crash
TORONTO — A judge made no errors in ruling that a young woman’s devastating car crash occurred only because a municipality negligently failed to ensure the road was snow-free, Ontario’s top court ruled on Friday
In upholding a $12-million award, the Court of Appeal found no reason to interfere with an earlier decision that Sudbury was liable for Lisa Marie Belanger’s catastrophic injuries.
The case arose during a bitterly cold winter storm in November 2000. Belanger, then 20, was driving her red 1990 Mazda over an icy bridge on a busy two-lane road just northwest of the city. In a matter of seconds, the car began fishtailing, hit the side of the road, crossed the centre line and smashed into an oncoming school bus.
Belanger and her family sued the city and regional municipality for negligence. They argued local authorities had failed to keep the road in a reasonable state of repair.