The Brian Sinclair inquest started Aug. 6, with the first part of it set to examine circumstances surrounding his death in the Health Sciences Centre ER waiting room and ways that future incidents can be prevented.

In 2008, Sinclair, 45, sought treatment for a bladder infection at the hospital, where he died after waiting 34 hours for care.

William Olsen, lawyer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, told the inquest that no single person was responsible for what happened to the double-amputee.

But he said there is no doubt errors were made.

"A perfect storm occurred," Olsen told Judge Tim Preston Tuesday in his opening statement. "The WRHA failed him ... at all levels of the organization."

The inquest’s first witness, Brian Sinclair's older sister Esther Joyce Grant, gave details about Brian Tuesday.

She said he was very tidy, did well in school and always helped others. She said he was soft spoken and well-liked.

She told stories of Brian in carrying groceries home for an elderly stranger, and another story where in his early twenties, he risked his life to rescue people from a burning home.

A lawyer with Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, who is part of the inquest, believes assumptions about Sinclair’s identity, including his race, may have factored into his treatment.

“I think we're going to hear some of those assumptions were incorrect, and some of them might have been based on prejudice and discrimination,” said Emily Hill from Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.

The lawyer for Sinclair's family agreed, saying Sinclair's status led to indifference from hospital staff.

Sinclair was a frequent visitor to the emergency room and did struggle with substance abuse, the family's lawyer said.

"It was not his demons that killed him," he said. "It was the angels -- the professionals we all turn to in times of urgent medical need -- that egregiously and fatally let him down," said Murray Trachtenberg, lawyer for Brian Sinclair’s family.

While some argue Sinclair's race and disability led to him being ignored for 34 hours, the WRHA’s lawyer William Olsen Olsen said that wasn't the case.

Sinclair’s family hopes the inquest will bring change to prevent another family from experiencing a similar tragedy.

"I don't want that to happen to anybody else," said Joyce Grant.

The inquest is set to run throughout the month of August, with some dates scheduled in October and early next year. The judge in the inquest will make recommendations and is not tasked with assigning blame.

The Sinclair family has previously said an inquest is not enough and has called for an inquiry.

Last week, a court also upheld an earlier ruling against Sinclair 's family, preventing it from suing HSC. The family plans to file another appeal.

Approximately 70 witnesses will be called to the inquest, including medical staff and members of the public who were at HSC when Sinclair was in the waiting room.

In 2008 following Sinclair's death, health officials made several changes to emergency room procedures, including having only one entrance to the ER at Health Sciences Centre and having a staff member assigned to greet patients.

- with a report from Alesia Fieldberg and files from The Canadian Press