Family who lost three kids, grandfather files $25M lawsuit against drunk driver

A photo of the Neville-Lake children, killed in a fatal car crash, is seen as people gathered for a candlelight vigil at St. Padre Pio Church in Kleinburg, Thursday, Oct, 1, 2015. (Marta Iwanek / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO -- A Toronto-area family who lost four family members -- including three children -- in a horrific car crash last year has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the drunk driver convicted in their deaths.

The Neville-Lake family is seeking more than $25 million from Marco Muzzo and his family's drywall company, Marel Contractors, arguing their negligence caused the crash that killed nine-year-old Daniel Neville-Lake, his five-year-old brother Harrison, their two-year-old sister Milly and the children's 65-year-old grandfather, Gary Neville.

In its statement of claim, the family says Muzzo was drunk, speeding and driving without corrective lenses after returning from his bachelor party in Miami last September and "created a situation of danger and emergency."

It also alleges Marel, which owned the SUV involved in the crash, failed to maintain the vehicle and allowed Muzzo to drive at a time when the company should have known he was impaired.

The suit was filed in April, just weeks after Muzzo was sentenced to 10 years in prison on four counts of impaired driving causing death and two of impaired driving causing bodily harm.

The statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in civil court.

A statement of defence in the matter has not yet been filed.