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谁来负责道路坑洼导致的伤害损失

The Perils of Potholes: Who is liable for bad roads during Ontario Spring?
来源: Robert Durante

 

道路坑洼可能会造成从轮胎爆裂到人身伤害等各种损害。Oatley Vigmond律师事务所的资深合伙律师杜朗蒂称,安省交通厅和当地市政当局对维持道路安全负有法律责任,并可能需对因道路养护不善而导致的事故负法律责任。

 

Potholes may cause damages ranging from broken tires to personal injuries. According toRobert Durante, senior partner with Oatley Vigmond, the MTO and local municipalities have a legal duty to keep the road safe, and could be held liable for the accidents due to poor road maintenance. 


春天已经来临,寒冬冰雪都将离我们远去,但与此同时道路上也会出现令人深恶痛绝的坑坑洼洼。

Springtime is here. Cold temperatures, snow and ice will thankfully subside, but in their wake they will reveal the dreaded pothole.

 

驾车者每每经过道路坑洼时都会立即知晓,因为车身会出现剧烈颠簸同时还会发出刺耳噪音。道路坑洼不仅会损坏汽车轮胎、车轮和悬架,还有可能造成更严重的损害,其中包括人身伤害甚至是死亡。面对从道路坑洼到冰雪,以及整体糟糕的道路状况,人们不禁要问:谁该对安省的烂路负责?

Drivers know when they've hit a pothole. The thumping sensation and jarring noise is unmistakeable. And while hitting a pothole can damage tires, wheels, and suspension the damage can be much more severe, including injury and in some cases death. From potholes to ice and snow, and overall bad road conditions, the question is: who is liable for bad roads in Ontario?

 

安省交通厅(MTO)和当地市政当局有责任确保其辖区内的道路得到合理的维修,并且对采取合理措施维持道路安全负有法律责任。

Ontario’s provincial Ministry of Transportation (“MTO”) and local municipalities have a duty to keep the roads under their jurisdiction in a reasonable state of repair and have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to keep their roads free of hazardous conditions.

 

但问题是:何为合理?

The question is: what constitutes reasonable?

 

按照《市政法》中旨在限制居民对市府进行索赔的细则(最低维修标准规则),如果位于每天车流量超过1万辆的城市道路表面的坑洼深度不足8厘米,面积不到1000平方厘米,即被视为已经维修。这条细则无疑将道路使用者都置于危险境地。

A regulation to the Municipal Act (Minimum Maintenance Standards Regulation), designed to restrict claims against municipalities, deems a pothole to be in repair if it is less than 8 cm deep and 1000 square centimetres in surface area on a city street that carries over 10,000 vehicles a day. This regulation puts road users at risk.  

 

但是,加拿大最高法院在2012年12月对旷日持久并备受瞩目的艾丽卡和莎伦·迪林两姐妹案件作出裁决时,却并没有支持奥沙瓦市府。来自Port Perry的迪林两姐妹因为在2004年遭遇车祸造成毁灭性的脊髓损伤,两人从此下肢瘫痪,只能终身与轮椅为伴。

Nevertheless, as recently as December 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against the City of Oshawa in the long-running and high-profile saga of Port Perry sisters, Erica and Shannon Deering, who suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries and were left permanently wheelchair-dependent after a car accident in 2004.

 

虽然迪林两姐妹的悲剧是源于糟糕的道路设计,而与道路维护无关,但本案却表明加拿大最高法院已经确认市政当局负有积极确保国家公路安全,以便驾车者正常行驶的责任。

The Deering accident was a bad road design case, not a road maintenance case, but it shows that the highest court in the country has confirmed that municipalities have a positive duty to make country roads safe for reasonable drivers.

 

安省交通厅和市政当局对维持道路安全负有法律责任,并不意味着所有道路都会时刻保持理想状态,而这也是不可能的事情。但是,负责维护道路的工作人员却必需按照时间表行事,才能免于承担法律责任。相关时间表要求他们优先处理最繁忙并且有最高限速的道路。

The legal duty of MTO and municipalities does not mean that roads must always be kept in a perfect condition. That would be impossible. However, employees responsible for maintaining roadways have timelines that they must meet in order to avoid legal liability. The timelines demand that the busiest roads with the highest posted speed limits be treated with priority.

 

如果安省交通厅或市政当局未能在预期的时限内维修道路,而在此期间因为糟糕的路况引发了车祸并导致有人受伤,法院有时会判定安省交通厅或市政当局需对此负责。如果你已经遭遇相关事故,或是你的车辆因此严重受损,你或许可以考虑追究当地市政当局的责任。

If the MTO or a municipality fails to maintain a road within the expected timeline and someone is injured in a crash caused by bad road conditions, the courts sometimes hold the MTO or the municipality liable. If you have been involved in an accident or your car has been extensively damaged it might be worth your while looking into the responsibilities of the local municipality.

作者简介:杜朗蒂(Robert Durante)是安省最大的人身伤害律师事务所Oatley Vigmond的资深合伙人。

Robert Durante, is a senior partner with Oatley Vigmond - Ontario's largest personal injury law firm.

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