Montreal car collector sues Ferrari Quebec for $20M after being burned by explosion

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It adds: “Since the Ferrari 360 was conveniently present at the dealership, Bienvenue was eager to present it to Richard and, consistent with customary practices for high-performance sports cars, Bienvenue wanted to demonstrate the sound of its engine; the engine cover situated in the back of the Ferrari 360 had been left wide open and the keys were left inside the vehicle.”

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The suit alleges that, without Poirier’s knowledge, the dealership had removed the fuel rail and injectors from the engine of the Ferrari 360 to use on another vehicle, “thus rendering the Ferrari 360 a dangerously compromised vehicle that had become a ticking time bomb.”

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According to the suit, Bienvenue’s attempts to start the engine caused raw fuel to spill onto the floor, where Richard was standing on the passenger side. “At one point, the fuel and vapours ignited, causing an explosion and fire that engulfed Richard in flames.”

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Papazian said there were three attempts to start the car. “And on the third attempt, the next thing I knew I had become a human torch.”

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He said he has spoken to Poirier, a renowned businessman whose car collection is worth $50 million and includes the greatest number of Ferraris in Quebec.

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“He’s very sympathetic for what happened,” Papazian said. “He got paid for his vehicle, and he didn’t know why his car blew up.

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Photos shared with National Post show extensive burns on Papazian’s body. The suit says he suffered “life-threatening injuries resulting in second and third-degree burns covering 56% of his body and leaving him with permanent disabilities and psychological trauma.”

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The suit says that before the explosion Papazian “was a highly active entrepreneur who pursued numerous personal and recreational interests, including travels, water sports, skiing, outdoor activities, photography, and oil painting.”

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Papazian said much of that is gone now.

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“Even driving. I’m driving a little bit now, but I don’t have the stamina to be able to drive for a long period of time. After 15, 20 minutes, I’m tired and I don’t want to drive any more.”

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He said his own car collection is “down to two Porsches,” neither of which he can drive because his injuries prevent him from operating the clutch. “So the cars are just sitting in the garage. And I had a Ferrari I sold because I couldn’t stand looking at it.”

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The suit notes: “Despite Richard’s explicit communication to Bitton and Bienvenue that he suffered severe PTSD from seeing any Ferrari in his garage, they made no effort to address and return the $20,000 deposit Richard had on a Ferrari 296 GTS Fiorano, callously retaining the deposit until this day.”

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Papazian said he is doing his best to look at the positives.

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“The hospital staff was amazing,” he said of the personnel at CHUM, the Montreal University Hospital Centre where he was taken after the accident. “I really think they saved my life. We always complain about the medical system, but it didn’t fail me.”

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He added: “When I turned 66 years old, April 11, I woke up and I was doing the peace sign on both hands, and I was telling my wife, hey, I survived two years after the accident. So I was very happy to get to that milestone.

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“But you get dealt a set of cards and you have to deal with it the way it is.”

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The suit demands $800,000 for non-pecuniary damages; $10 million in punitive damages; $10 million in economic damages, and the return of the $20,000 deposit.

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“I want justice,” Papazian told National Post. “I want some respect. I would really like to get my dignity back.”

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