VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 22, 2011) - Family members of wrongful-death victims will gather in downtown Vancouver this Sunday, September 25, at 2:00 pm to renew their call for a Wrongful Death Act. Simultaneously, citizens will gather in Kelowna to honour a senior killed just two months ago while volunteering as part of a road clean-up crew.
The event in Vancouver will include speeches from family representatives of the Wrongful Death Law Reform Group (WDLRG), Beatrice Pereira and Catherine Adamson. In separate incidents, dreadful medical errors were responsible for the deaths of Beatrice's mother and Catherine's daughter.
WHEN: Sunday, September 25 at 2:00 pm
WHERE: Robson Street – backsteps of the Vancouver Art Gallery
The event flyer can be viewed here: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/law919.pdf
Both Beatrice and Catherine are among the core members of the WDLRG, which was created in 2005 due to the dire need for new legislation in BC. As it stands, the lives of children, seniors and the disabled are worthless in the eyes of the law. The existing law only recognizes the financial losses of income-earners, rather than all other forms of loss, such as the loss of companionship, care and guidance that occurs after innocent people are killed due to the reckless, negligent actions of others.
The WDLRG, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, Trial Lawyers Association of BC and Coalition Against No-Fault are original partners in this campaign, and more than 100 other organizations signed on in support of their initial recommendations. Subsequently, this summer (2011), the people involved created draft legislation entitled the Wrongful Death Accountability Act. The document provides a comprehensive solution to the weak and unfair law in place at present, the Family Compensation Act – legislation that originated in the United Kingdom 165 years ago.
In Kelowna: Members of the Westbank Lions Club (WLC) will gather at 2:00 pm on Sunday to honour a longtime club member killed (July 21) in a tragic yet totally avoidable road incident. While wearing a yellow safety vest, Stew Tuningley was killed as he took part in a volunteer road-cleanup sponsored by his wife's Lioness Club. The death occurred after the driver of a pick-up truck lost control and struck Stew.
The WLC invites all interested members of the public to meet near the site of Stew's death, to express their support for increased driver awareness, accountability and meaningful reform to provincial laws pertaining to compensation for fatal incidents. Speakers will share their memories of Stew and discuss how passage of a proposed wrongful death act would ensure accountability from wrongdoers in similar cases.
WHERE: Near the entrance to the Crystal Springs mobile home park
1850 Shannon Lake Road, West Kelowna
KELOWNA CONTACTS:
WLC President - Linda Hart - westbanklionsclub@yahoo.ca / 250-707-2924
Legal Columnist Paul Hergott – paul@hlaw.ca / 250-769-7444 ext. 100
Contact Information:
Bentley Doyle
604-682-5343 / 1-888-558-5222
bentley@tlabc.org