Following on the heels of last month's week-long coroner's inquest into the 2006 death of a Sudbury miner killed on-the-job, the man's family has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against those they feel were involved in his death.
Ray Campeau was a 47-year-old maintenance mechanic working at the Podolsky Mine north of Capreol, for Dynatec Corp. On May 25, 2006,while changing a motor in a winch system holding up a jumbo drill in the shaft, the brakes on the system let loose, causing the drill to drop a short distance, which in turn caused the motor's gears to start spinning.
Because the motor was in the midst of being changed, the gears were exposed and a socket extension used to loosen the motor somehow became lodged in the gears, causing them to jam and one to shoot out, an expert witness from the Ministry of Labour explained at the inquest. The gear shot through Campeau's legs, essentially causing him to bleed to death.
Set at $4.1 million, the lawsuit – which was filed last week – names six plaintiffs who will be claiming the damages, including Ray Campeau's widow Faye, his two children, and his three siblings.
The companies named in the lawsuit include Dynatec, FNX, Sheritt International Corporation, Wintech International Inc., Standard Lake Assurance Company of Canada and an engineer said to be the individual who prepared the drawings for the winch used the day of the accident.
A jury made 16 recommendations at the completion of the inquest, seven of which were directed specifically at the Ministry of Labour, suggesting reviews of existing mining regulations, and practices involving inspection and investigative roles. The remainder of the recommendations were more specific to the Podolsky mine, but were applicable industry-wide.
The lawsuit is expected to take months to years to be brought to a close.
