News about the tragic death of “Fast and the Furious” star Paul Walker affected fans in British Columbia and around the world. Now, the widow of the man who was driving the vehicle in the crash that claimed the actor’s life is pursuing a wrongful death claim against the maker of the vehicle, Porsche Cars North America.
Some British Columbia residents may have heard about a lawsuit regarding the estate of a 35-year-old woman who died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton in 2009. The estate is now suing for $190,000 in damages. This includes $10,000 in funeral costs and bereavement damages of $45,000 for each of the woman’s four children.
In April 2012, a 28-year-old woman plunged to her death in a hang-gliding accident in Fraser Valley. A pilot who was a partner in the hang-gliding company was convicted on charges of criminal negligence by a British Columbia court and sentenced to five months in jail.
Automobile manufacturer Mercedes has issued a recall in for its C-Class sedans owing to possible electrical problems. the recall affects approximately 31,000 vehicles in British Columbia and throughout Canada; nearly 253,000 more were recalled in the United States, totally approximately 284,000 vehicles.
General Motors Canada is in the crosshairs of a lawsuit from the parents of an Ontario man who lost his life while behind the wheel of a 2006 Saturn Ion. The parents of the accident victim are taking part in a national class action suit over malfunctioning parts and systems.
Toyota owners in British Columbia will want to know about a recall announced by the automaker April 9 to correct a variety of problems, including a defective engine starter, a spiral cable attached to an air-bag module, seat rails, a windshield-wiper motor and a steering column bracket. Although no crashes or injuries have been associated with the defective parts, the engine starter has been known to keep the engine running, which can result in a fire.
A major traffic incident in Vancouver on April 9 left one person dead and put five others in the hospital. The car accident is said to have occurred on East Broadway as a transit bus approached St. Catherines Street.
Some British Columbia residents are concerned that there is a huge disparity in penalties for distracted and impaired driving. While the province has the harshest penalties in Canada for individuals convicted of drunk driving, those found talking on a cellphone or texting while driving are assessed a meager $167 ticket in spite of statistics suggesting that distracted driving is surpassing impaired driving as a leading cause of death for B.C. motorists.
A mini-bus drove through a retail-store parking lot and hit the wall of a building across the street in British Columbia about 10:40 a.m. on March 24. Six people were hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries following the car accident. The bus belongs to a community living group.
At approximately 2 a.m. on Mar. 16, a 59-year-old man was pronounced dead as a result of an industrial accident at the Teck Coal Mountain mine in British Columbia. The mine is near Sparwood in southeaster BC.
