Canadian Railroads > Jury selection, Lac Megantic criminal trial

The trial of three railroaders alleged responsible of criminal negligence in the Lac Megantic runaway and subsequent fire which killed many citizens of the small community of Lac Megantic is in the jury selection process. The trial is to be conducted in both English and French, making jury selection difficult as jurors must be fluently bilingual. The actual trial may not take place until early in 2018, in Lac Megantic QC

Meanwhile, in the civil damages portion to follow the criminal trial, a US based law firm has persuaded many of the victim's families to settle out of court, citing the long delays to the trial and the possibility of not receiving anything in the subsequent settlement. Immediate cash was offered in exchange for signing away the right to pursue damages later. The amounts paid out are proving to be considerably less than the proposed legal settlements. A Quebec lawyer is being criticized for helping an "ambulance chaser" not qualified to practice law in Canada.