Province's lawsuit demands venue owner, others pay health-care costs for injuries in 2019 deck collapse

The B.C. government has added to a growing stack of lawsuits over the collapse of a deck at a Fraser Valley event venue during a pre-wedding party, calling for the owners of the luxury home and a slew of others to pay the health-care costs of everyone who was hurt.

About 18 people were sent to the hospital when the deck at Langley's Amaroo Estatecollapsedon April 19, 2019.

The province's notice of claim, filed in B.C. Supreme Court last week, names a long list of defendants, including Langley's Amaroo Estate, the American company that designed the home, the construction company that built it, the building inspectors who approved it and the father of the bride who hosted the 2019 celebration.

The lawsuit alleges each of these parties was negligent for their role in the incident, and asks for them to pay thecosts of all past and future health care under the Health Care Costs Recovery Act. It does not include an estimate for those costs.

None of the claims have been proven in court, and none of the named defendants have filed responses to theclaim. Amaroo Estate has not responded to requests for comment.

The deck at Amaroo Estate suddenly gave waywhen guests at the party gathered there to take photos.

When the deck collapsed,party-goers fell onto a concrete surface. Dozens of people were injured, including 18 who had to be rushed to hospital.

The incident has prompted at least 35 lawsuits filed by people who were at the party, according to the government's claim. Taken together, their claims detail a long list of injuries, including broken bones, soft tissue injuries, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries.

The government's lawsuit alleges negligence in the deck's design, engineering, construction, repairs and inspection.

It claims Amaroo Estates did not take care to ensure that the deck was in compliance with local bylaws or the fire code, and failed to make sure it was safe for guests before letting them stand on it.

The Township of Langley, which is not named in the government's lawsuit but is a named defendant in several others, has alleged in court filings that the deck was built illegally and wasn't in the approved design for the building.