MPI sues province, construction company over damaged vehicles

MPI sues province, construction company over damaged vehicles | Insurance Business Canada

Motor & Fleet

MPI sues province, construction company over damaged vehicles

Defective roadway repairs caused damage to vehicles’ tires and rims, says insurer

Motor & Fleet

By
Mika Pangilinan

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has filed a lawsuit against the province, a local construction company and its employee after claiming that defective construction work on a Winnipeg roadway resulted in damage to 12 insured vehicles.

A statement of claim was filed on May 8, according to a report by CBC News, with MPI alleging that the damage occurred between October 11-13, 2021, on a section of the Perimeter Highway under the Roblin Boulevard overpass.

Specifically, the lawsuit argued that the damage to the vehicles were caused by defects in repairs made by local construction company Winitec, which the provincial government had contracted to mill down the roadway and resurface it with new concrete and/or asphalt.

The milling process resulted in an uneven surface, the suit claimed, where the new and existing roadways merged without adequate signage to warn drivers.

This uneven section allegedly damaged the tires and/or rims of the affected vehicles, which include two Kias, two BMWs, two Hondas, an Infiniti, a Tesla, a Jaguar, a Lincoln, a Ford, and a Volkswagen.

According to the lawsuit, the province of Manitoba holds responsibility for the construction, maintenance, and repair of the roadway under the overpass.

Furthermore, it claimed that Wintec is indirectly responsible for the damages caused as the milling work was performed by one of its employees.

Manitoba, Wintec, and the employee failed to adhere to general construction industry standards, infrastructure policies, and work zone regulations in their handling of the roadway, the lawsuit stated.