'It feels inhumane': Sask. family sues SGI over 'dangerous' home modifications

SASKATOON -

A family near Blackstrap Lake has filed two statements of claim against Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) for allegedly not completing modifications to their home and administering benefits for their son.

In November 2015, Conrad Olson was driving on his way to work when he hit a patch of black ice, causing the vehicle to flip over. As a result of the accident, he suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him a quadriplegic. Conrad was 18 at the time.

After spending 16 months at Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon City Hospital, Conrad returned to his bungalow home by Blackstrap Lake in March 2017.

The statements of claim obtained by CTV News say the home was neither wheelchair accessible nor “suitable living quarters for a quadriplegic.”

According to court filings, SGI initiated a process to select a contractor to make renovations to the Olson’s family home.

During the winter of 2017, a contractor was hired by SGI. The statements claim he was “not capable, nor competent,” causing damage to the property and quitting in June 2018 before the project was complete.

Some of the damage left behind, according to the statements of claim, include a garage floor built 37 inches below the main floor, uneven floors, a metal roof that needed to be replaced, damage to the home foundation and four doors not free for wheelchair access.

Brenda Olson, Conrad’s mother, says during that time the family had been “begging and pleading” for SGI’s claims construction specialist to come to their home for months.

“There’s problems that need to be addressed and we weren’t getting anywhere with (the contractor), and SGI told us … deal with it yourself,” Brenda told CTV News.

The lawsuit says in November 2018, SGI advised the Olsons that it was “not prepared to be involved in the home renovations any longer, in any capacity.”

The family was given $282,067 to complete “whatever modifications that they could, however, the renovations are far from complete.”

“I think he got in too deep cause there’s so much that needed to be fixed. By the time we got that paid out, it went into fixing the place for it to be actually structurally sound,” Conrad said.

“We had to fix a bunch of inexperienced work essentially.”

The lawsuit accuses SGI of negligence, breach of its statutory obligation of The Automobile Accident Insurance Act and lack of good faith. It also seeks punitive damages.

SGI has filed a statement of defence that denies every allegation made in the lawsuit and is requesting the actions of the Olson’s be dismissed with costs. The defence documents say despite SGI’s requests to the Olsons to “provide a list of problems they alleged to exist with the work,” the lawsuit is the first time SGI has seen it.

A court date has not been set yet.

The contractor is also a defendant in the same lawsuit and denies any allegations of breach of agreement, being incapable of doing the work or causing property damage. The contractor claims the Olsons were "unreasonable and uncooperative" in addressing deficiencies.

The family alleges Conrad is owed $6.6 million to use over the course of his lifetime and is unclear how much allotment has been used so far.

The family alleges the modifications of the home have left Conrad with no fire escape, leaving them in a dangerous situation.

“You try not to think about it, you try not to worry about it but our only hope is praying to God that we don’t have a fire in the night cause I don’t think we’d be able to get him out.”

Brenda says the conditions are so bad, the family has been unable to get a caregiver to come to the home as it’s been deemed “unsafe,” leading her and her husband to leave their jobs to take care of their son full-time.

“I’m watching my parents basically give up their work-life and chance of income, proper income to float this house just to take care of me and live in this disaster that SGI has made us live in, it’s hard,” Conrad said.

“It feels inhumane,” Brenda said.

Brenda says she’s looking for a resolution in a relationship moving forward with SGI and having “reasonable talks” and things done at a “reasonable time.”

In an email to CTV News, SGI says it cannot comment on individual customers’ claims without a signed waiver from the customers involved.

It added the court filings only tell “part of the story.”