Class-action lawsuit over storm authorized

MONTREAL — A Quebec judge has authorized a classaction lawsuit related to the debacle on two Montreal highways last March that left hundreds of motorists stranded after a massive snowstorm.

The storm blanketed the city with about 40 centimetres of snow, forcing some drivers to spend the night in their vehicles and others to abandon their cars after waiting hours in vain for help.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Donald Bisson has given the green light for the lawsuit to proceed, with 1,649 registered claimants seeking $2,500 each.