More than a thousand complainants have received a payout stemming from a class-action lawsuit citing excessive noise from construction on a Montreal highway, 18 years after first launching the suit.
- For more on this story, visit CTV Montreal
Peter Krantz launched the lawsuit against the Quebec government and several construction firms back in the late 1990s. He said construction on the Ville-Marie Expressway in Montreal left residents in the area dealing with the constant sound of jackhammers, which he compared to the noise of a jet engine.
Krantz had the City of Westmount install decibel metres to track the sound levels in the area, which he used as evidence in the case.
The Quebec government and the construction firms settled the lawsuit last year for $3.5 million, roughly $2,900 for each of the 1,200 complainants.
Despite the low payout, Krantz is proud that the lawsuit changed policy for roadway construction.
“I made the minister become aware or responsible for all sounds emitting from the auto route, that's when they realized what they were doing,” he told CTV Montreal.
