Lawyer files class-action lawsuit against Thunder Bay for flooding

The city of Thunder Bay is the target of a class-action lawsuit by a law firm alleging that recent flooding in the region was foreseeable and predictable.

Watkins Law Professional Corporation filed the lawsuit on behalf of city residents hit by the floods, which prompted the city to declare a state of emergency in late May. Specifically, the suit will argue that Thunder Bay was grossly negligent in the design and maintenance of its storm, water and sewage systems.

“The recent heavy rains were a predictable event and should have been designed for and the City failed to maintain the sewage treatment plant and other storm sewer facilities which resulted in extensive damages for many city residents,” noted lawyers Sandy Zaitzeff, Christopher Watkins and Nancy Erickson on the web site of Watkins Law. “This class action will cover the insured and uninsured.”

The city of Thunder Bay declined to comment on the lawsuit, according to the CBC. None of the allegations have been proven in court.