A Montreal resident is suing his landlords for more than $1 million after he suffered serious injuries falling down the icy stairs in front of his apartment two years ago.
Michel Valois slipped at the top of the winding staircase leading from his front door to the sidewalk and fell more than 20 steps in February 2016, according to court documents. He was left unconscious and still suffers from memory loss, blurred vision, and headaches as a result of his injuries, the suit said.
The head injury prevented Valois from working as the president and founder of his graphic design company and he eventually sold his stake in the business, he said. The lawsuit also describes how he tried to find employment elsewhere, but he was unsuccessful because of difficulty concentrating on tasks.
Valois is seeking $850,000 in compensation for past and future lost income, $150,000 for pain and suffering, and $11,000 for medical fees.
Hans Brouillette, the president of the landlord association CORPIQ, who is not representing the landlords in this case, said the court will have to determine who was responsible for removing snow and ice on the property – a matter indicated in many leases.
“The court has to decide if there is shared responsibility between the tenant and the landlord or if someone is fully responsible, the tenant or the landlord, or no one is responsible,” he told CTV Montreal on Tuesday.
Ted Wright, a legal expert at Westmount Legal Clinic, said it will be up to the tenant to prove the landlords are at fault for the accident.
“What could that fault be? That they didn’t bring it up to standard? That they knew something was wrong and yet they did nothing?” he asked. “These are things that’ll have to be brought out in court.”
The lawyer representing Valois declined to comment on his client’s behalf. CTV News attempted to speak to one of the landlords for the property, but they were unavailable.
With a report from CTV Montreal’s Matt Grillo
