A lawsuit that could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars has been launched against the Delta Hotel in downtown Regina.
The Merchant Law Group filed the statement of claim on behalf of the family of a 29-year-old First Nations woman who somehow got into the laundry chute of the hotel on the 10th floor, then fell about 100 feet to her death.
The lawsuit was filed on the one-year anniversary of the death of Nadine Machiskinic.
Tony Merchant says there were no safeguards in place to prevent Machiskinic or anyone else from accessing the chute.
He says it was in an unlocked room, there was no surveillance and anyone — including children — had access to it.
He says it was clearly a dangerous situation.
“It’s really atrocious that they would have this kind of hidden danger that killed a First Nations woman,” he says. “It’s just devastatingly wrong that the hotel would not be more alert to the possibility of the problems that could arise.”
Merchant says if punitive damages are awarded, the settlement could be very large.
“It could be in the hundreds of thousands and we will look at that to see if we can succeed with punitive or exemplary damages.”
The Delta Hotel has 30 days to file a statement of defence. In the meantime, it is not commenting on the lawsuit. None of the allegations contained in the suit have been proven in court.
The big question remains: how did Nadine Machiskinic end up in the laundry chute at 4:00 am on January 10 of last year?
On Sunday, family members and friends staged a vigil, to push for answers.
Her aunt, Delores Stevenson, told reporters she is not satisfied by the police explanation.
“The police also gave us the scenario that she was an intoxicated woman who wandered to the Delta Hotel and put herself in the laundry chute, which doesn’t make sense,” she says.
Police have ruled out foul play in the death, but say the investigation remains open.
The coroner’s office is also investigating.
Normally, it takes about six months for a death investigation. In this case, it will be over a year. The coroner’s office says the delay in competing the report is unusual and unfortunate, but it is promising to have it done by the middle of February.