Vehicles stuck on Highway 13/ Snowstorm of March 14th, 2017
Latest news
On July 7, 2022, the Superior Court confirmed that the agreement reached with the Attorney General of Quebec (“AGQ”) has been fully executed and that the distribution of indemnities provided for therein is completed. The Court therefore declared the class action against the AGQ partially closed. You can read the judgment by clicking here (French only).
For its part, the class action continues against the City of Montreal as it did not reach a settlement agreement with the Plaintiff. We are therefore preparing ourselves for the trial.
The case
On March 16, 2017, TJL and Trivium avocats filed a motion for authorization to exercise a class action against the Attorney General of Quebec and the City of Montreal, on behalf of all persons stranded on Highway 13 South on the night of March 14, 2017.
On March 20, 2017, Gilles D. Beauchamp filed a modified motion for authorization to exercise a class action in order, among other things, to become the proposed class representative and to amend the proposed class in order to include persons who were stranded on Highway 520 East.
On November 14, 2017, Justice Bisson of the Superior Court of Quebec authorized a class action for all persons who were immobilized in a vehicle on the 13 South Highway or on the 520 East Highway in Montreal from 19:00 on March 14, 2017, until noon on March 15, 2017. You can read the authorization judgment here (French only).
On June 19, 2019, the Superior Court approved a settlement agreement between the Attorney General of Quebec and the plaintiff Mr. Beauchamp providing for the payment of indemnities to the members of the class action. The claim period for this agreement has ended and the indemnities have been distributed. The class action against the City of Montreal continues as it did not reach a settlement agreement with the Plaintiff.
On March 30, 2020, the plaintiff filed a modified originating application to remove the Attorney General of Quebec from the file and to clarify certain allegations concerning the fault alleged against the City of Montreal.
On September 14, 2021, the defendant Ville de Montréal filed a modified application for forced intervention against a truck driver who, according to the City, contributed to the obstruction of traffic. The hearing of this application will take place on October 20, 2021, in room 15.09.
On September 15, 2021, the applicant sought leave to modify the originating application to add information obtained during discovery of SPVM officers and through the call cards recording the emergency calls logged with the SPVM on the night of March 14-15, 2017. No date is scheduled for the hearing of this application at this time.