A woman who caused an explosion in London, Ontario, resulting in at least £8 million worth of damage, is now suing a company for serving her alcohol at a bar before the incident.
On the night of 14 August, 2019, Daniella Leis was driving home from a Marilyn Manson concert when she crashed her Ford Fusion into a house at 450 Woodman Avenue.
Upon colliding with the home, her car broke a gas line and set a course of events in motion which triggered a significant explosion that racked up millions in damages.
First responders were able to pull Leis from the wreckage of the crash and evacuated the area upon detecting the gas leak which exploded 15 minutes after the crash, blowing up the house, setting fire to other nearby homes and launching debris almost 200 metres away.
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Four houses were destroyed in total and seven people injured, with two firefighters described by the CBC as having suffered 'life-altering injuries'.
Leis pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm in October 2020, and was sentenced to three years in prison, along with a three year driving ban, in 2021.
Justice George Orsini acknowledged that she had pleaded guilty, possessed no previous criminal record and expressed remorse for her actions.
He said she 'made the decision to drive when she had to know she was in no condition to do so', and was two and a half times above the legal limit when she drove.
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The judge said she also knew she would be driving an hour away from her home to a concert where she would be drinking alcohol.
However, Leis is now suing the Ovations Ontario Food Services company for serving her alcohol at the Budweiser Gardens, with her statement alleging that the company shares some liability for the civil lawsuits made against her following the crash.
She and her father Shawn are currently facing six lawsuits in relation to the gas explosion and Leis is aiming to prove that the company which served her alcohol would be responsible for 'any awards or judgment amounts' stemming from lawsuits.
In the lawsuit she is launching against the company, the 26-year-old claims she became intoxicated at Budweiser Gardens and any damages suffered by the victims of the blast were 'caused or contributed to by the negligence, breach of duty, breach of contract' of the bar.
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The allegations made against the bar include claims that Leis was served alcohol when staff knew she was intoxicated.
The company is also accused of contravening the Occupiers’ Liability Act or Liquor Licence Act, and of 'putting profit above safety', as well as it being claimed they failed to provide properly trained bouncers at the exits and monitor the state of intoxication for those leaving the venue.
LADbible have contacted Ovations for comment.
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