South Asian Link Newspaper

ABBOTSFORD – Families of the victims of the tragic Indo-Canadian wedding procession deaths have brought in top-gun personal injury lawyer Bernie Simpson to take on dozens of defendants that they allege to be liable for the tragedy that killed six people and injured numerous others after an elderly man drove his pickup truck into a large gathering of people during a pre-wedding celebration event in Abbotsford.

Well known personal injury claims specialist Simpson, who is representing all but one of the victims, told the LINK his firm has now added four additional defendants to the original action, which included the city of Abbotsford, the driver of the truck. In addition to these, the owners of the truck and the owners of the two houses where the pre-wedding celebrations took place, as well as owner of two private vehicles have been added to the lawsuit, which also names ICBC and a host of insurance companies. A total of 18 lawsuits have been filed so far, he said.

Last summer, Abbotsford police announced there would no charges laid against Bachittar Singh Brar, then 71, who was driving the pickup truck.

Asked how long he sees the case taking, Simpson said there is no precedent for a case of this magnitude where you have more than two dozen victims and six dead.
“ We will spare no expenses and resources in bringing justice to these victims of a horrific tragedy,” said Simpson, who is highly regarded in the Indo-Canadian community for his long and successful track record as a personal injury lawyer.
“The victims, from the man who lost his wife to those who cannot work again or enjoy life in the same way as they did before, are still suffering and will continue to do so for a long time,” he said. “The Indo-Canadian community has given us their trust and support for years and even all the victims’ families and the injured came to us on their own and for this reason I’m personally involved in the case to make sure that we expend all resources to bring a successful conclusion to this action.”
Simpson said every effort was made to get a settlement in this case but due to numerous parties being involved, including ICBC, City of Abbotsford, individuals and a dozens of insurance companies, there is no way but to proceed to a court action to get the victims and their families the justice they deserve.
Canadian Press reports that Hardip Singh Sanghera has filed documents in B.C. Supreme Court, seeking damages under the Family Compensation Act in connection with the 2007 death of his wife, Harjinder Kaur Sanghera.
Besides the six people killed, 19 others were injured when Brar drove through the large, candle-lit group as it paraded up a dimly lit country road east of Vancouver on Aug. 24, 2007.
Sanghera claims in the court documents that Brar caused or contributed to his wife's death by driving without due care and attention, driving the vehicle without effective brakes or failing to apply the brakes.
The lawsuit also claims that Brar was driving the vehicle when he was impaired by alcohol, drugs or fatigue.
It lists 21 factors the plaintiff alleges that Brar should have known were negligent.
The court documents names the owners of the residence where the wedding reception occurred, and alleges they were negligent in allowing the deceased woman and others to "become intoxicated."
Eleven defendants have been named in the lawsuit, including the owner of the pickup truck, the City of Abbotsford, B & A Farms, and the Insurance Corp. of B.C.
The City of Abbotsford, the lawsuit alleges, was negligent for failing to provide sufficient lighting and traffic signals in the area where the accident occurred.
Abbotsford police said their investigation found the driver's actions did not constitute an offence and recommended no charges, an opinion shared by the Crown.
Police said last summer there was no evidence that alcohol, fatigue or any medical condition played a role in the crash.
They looked at the speed and mechanical condition of the truck, as well as the weather and road conditions.
There was no evidence that the driver was speeding or that his perception, eyesight or reaction time was in any way impaired, police said.
The investigation found that there were about 35 people in the wedding party procession walking along the rural road, returning from one pre-wedding party to another nearby.
The last few members had just crossed the roadway, joining their friends walking south in the southbound lane when the party was struck from behind by Brar's truck around 11 p.m.
Police noted that there were no sidewalks and no overhead street lights on the rural roadway.
Killed were Rubal Gill, 21, and her brother, Bhupinder Clair, 25, along with Harjinder Sanghera, 57, Satwinder Mahil, 57, Ripudaman Dhillon, 32 and Damanpreet Kang, 13.
Victims and families of the dead have previously filed other lawsuits against Brar, his son Kulwant Singh Brar and the City of Abbotsford.
In a statement of defence filed in connection with earlier lawsuits, Brar said it was the wedding party members who were negligent as they walked along the road in the dark.