Expert Value

Nearly 17 years ago, on May 20, 1990, the new Prima-Viande slaughterhouse located near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, was entirely destroyed by fire. An initial investigation revealed the Prima-Viande fire had been of great intensity, produced intense black smoke and was very difficult to extinguish. The key to this puzzle came from Dr. Brady Williamson, a distinguished professor at the University of Berkeley, CA. Williamson indicated two processes could explain the fire at Prima-Viande: 1. the fiber-glass and gel coat protection layer could have become detached, exposing the urethane underneath and/or 2. the protection layer itself could have participated in the fire. While the lengthy and expensive fabrication and testing process was going on, examinations for discovery of the defendants revealed that the development of Arcoplast had been done in an improvised and hurried fashion. In a lengthy decision, the Quebec Court of Appeal in October 2006 upheld the judgment of the Superior Court and ordered Arcoplast distributor SIA and manufacturer Manac to pay $23 million, including interest.