Imprisoned Saskatchewan Woman Files Lawsuit Against Insurance Company Over House Fire
A Saskatchewan woman currently serving a six-year prison sentence for a fatal impaired driving crash has initiated legal action against her insurance provider alongside her husband. The lawsuit centers on the company's alleged failure to cover costs associated with a devastating house fire that occurred months before the tragic collision.
Background of the Case and Legal Proceedings
Brittany Dawn Barry, 33, pleaded guilty in March of last year to charges related to an October 19, 2024 incident on Highway 11 near Dundurn. While driving impaired, she caused a head-on collision that resulted in the deaths of Jamie Hannah, 20, and her mother Laura Hannah, 53, both from Alberta. Barry's two children, aged three and eight at the time, sustained injuries in the crash.
Court documents reveal that Barry initially faced more severe charges but changed her plea during sentencing to facilitate insurance compensation for the victims' family members. She is currently incarcerated after being convicted of driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit causing death and bodily harm.
The Insurance Dispute and Property Damage
In a separate legal matter filed last month at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench, Brittany and Greg Barry are suing Premium Insurance Company, also known as TD General Insurance Company. The lawsuit alleges the insurer failed to properly compensate the couple for a fire that destroyed their Skyview Estates home on January 12, 2024.
The Barrys' insurance policy, active from March 20, 2023 to March 20, 2024, explicitly included coverage for fire loss. According to their statement of claim, the policy provided guaranteed replacement cost coverage for the dwelling and detached structures, along with replacement-cost coverage for additional living expenses and contents.
Specific Allegations and Unmet Claims
The couple contends that despite the clear policy provisions, the insurance company has not compensated them for numerous expenses related to the fire. These include additional living costs incurred while displaced from their home, funds necessary to rebuild the structure, and resources required to remove debris from the property site.
Furthermore, the Barrys claim the Rural Municipality of Dundurn property requires environmental remediation work that the insurer has refused to cover. The fire caused what the lawsuit describes as "significant" damage not only to the house itself but also to landscaping and vehicles on the property.
The plaintiffs maintain that the loss falls squarely within the policy's coverage grants and that none of the policy's exclusions should apply to their situation. They assert that the house requires complete demolition and that none of the contents are salvageable, adding that they have taken all reasonable steps to mitigate their damages and losses.
Chronology of Events and Legal Strategy
The timeline of events reveals a tragic sequence: the house fire occurred in January 2024, followed nine months later by the fatal impaired driving collision in October 2024. Barry pleaded guilty to the driving offenses in March of the following year and is now serving her six-year sentence while simultaneously pursuing the insurance lawsuit with her husband.
This legal action represents a complex intersection of criminal and civil proceedings, with the Barrys seeking compensation for property losses while Brittany Barry serves time for her role in the fatal highway collision. The case highlights questions about insurance obligations and coverage interpretation that will likely be closely watched by legal observers in Saskatchewan and beyond.
