City facing sinkhole lawsuit
Posted Sep 10, 2014 06:17:34 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – A man who had to crawl out of a sinkhole on Highway 174 two years ago has filed a lawsuit against the City of Ottawa.
Juan Pedro Unger was driving eastbound around 5 p.m. on September 4, 2012 when a large hole opened up on the highway and his car fell in nose-first.
The lawsuit claims $550, 000 in damages between Unger, his wife and their daughter, according to the Sun.
The city says the gaping hole, which created traffic nightmares for about a week, was caused by a collapsed storm sewer pipe under the roadway. Unger’s lawsuit is blaming the city for not acting on its crumbling infrastructure.
The lawsuit also describes how Unger’s car plummeted into the sinkhole, and how it was wedged in place by the sides.
Unger said the incident has left him with both mental and physical injuries, including cuts, whiplash, a rotator cuff strain, a tendon tear in his shoulder and soft tissue injuries. The crash has also given him anxiety, sleeping difficulties and a fear of driving, the suit said.
The suit also claims he now requires rehab for the physical injuries, which would be out-of-pocket expenses.
Unger’s claim has not been proven in court.
