More lawsuits against Moncton engineer over alleged building defects
CBC
A suspended Moncton structural engineer faces more lawsuits alleging design flaws in buildings that require repair.
Four cases were filed in recent months alleging issues with buildings in Dieppe and Saint John.
The cases allege Hélène Thériault, or her firm Match Engineering, failed to properly design the structures.
The cases say temporary measures were put in place to ensure the safety of the buildings ahead of permanent changes to the structures.
Previous lawsuits were filed over buildings in Shediac, Miramichi and Dieppe. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick suspended Thériault's licence last year.
A Halifax-based engineer reported her to the association after being asked by a building owner to review a Dieppe building she designed. The engineer, John Richardson, told CBC News he visited or reviewed plans for multiple buildings she worked on, concluding some were at risk of collapse.
The cases filed over recent months allege Thériault or her firm were negligent, causing losses building owners are seeking to recoup. The cases do not specify exact figures.
The allegations haven't been tested in court.
Match and Theriault have filed statements of defence in three of the four recent lawsuits.
A lawyer representing Thériault and her Moncton firm, where she was the sole director, did not respond to a request for comment. James Boudreau previously said neither he nor his client would comment while cases are ongoing.
In mid-December, Terrasses du Marché GP Inc. sued Match Engineering and Design Plus Architecture Inc., alleging flaws in the structure at 230 Champlain St. in Dieppe.
The lawsuit says Design Plus retained Match for the structural designs of the four-storey building with offices and residential units.
The case alleges that in June 2024, a consultant hired by the plaintiff discovered "structural deficiencies in the floor slabs on the second and third floors."
No statements of defence have been filed. Neither Design Plus nor a lawyer representing Match responded to emails seeking comment about the case.
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