Mike on Crime

By Jana G. Pruden
Canwest News Service
REGINA — A man who was trapped inside a blazing tanning bed earlier this year is now putting a Regina company on the hot seat.
A lawsuit filed at Regina Court of Queen’s Bench on Monday alleges Millennium Tanning Salon was negligent in a variety of ways at the time of the January blaze, during which Jason Viles was forced to break his way out of a locked tanning bed after it caught fire.
The statement of claim says the experience left Viles with a spinal injury, an injury to the left knee that required surgery, post-traumatic stress disorder, nausea, as well as “shock, nervous trauma, mental distress, anxiety and depression.”
“He has suffered great pain as a result of his injuries and his enjoyment of life has been greatly curtailed,” the document says.
A statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court.
The document filed Monday says Viles went to the salon on Jan. 19, and asked for a tanning session.
“Approximately three minutes after the bed started operating, the Plaintiff could smell smoke,” the document reads. “Shortly thereafter, flames erupted from the bed.”
The statement of claim says no one came to Viles’ assistance, and Viles was unable to open the bed because of a malfunction in the release mechanism.
“Eventually, the Plaintiff was able to extricate himself through a small space located at the top of the burning bed,” the statement says.
The statement of claim alleges the business was negligent on a number of grounds, including failing to properly maintain its equipment, employing unqualified staff, improperly training staff, failing to follow safety requirements and “creating an unusual danger which it ought to have foreseen would cause injuries to the Plaintiff and other members of the public.”
The document says Viles has suffered from a permanent disability as a result of the experience, and seeks unspecified damages in compensation.
At the time of the blaze, Regina Fire Department spokesman Grant Nicurity said the fire caused more than $300,000 in damage to the tanning salon and a neighbouring business.