Cities Our GTA Personal Injury Lawyers Serve
A North York Firm for Injury Claims Across the GTA
HSK Law's personal injury team works from 4950 Yonge Street in North York and represents clients across the Greater Toronto Area and in Sudbury. You do not need a lawyer whose office is in the city where you were hurt, because a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario can act for you anywhere in the province.
We bring more than 30 years of combined personal injury experience and have helped over 1,000 clients through injury claims. You deal directly with the lawyer handling your file, and we offer service in Russian, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Ukrainian.
What Changes From One GTA City to the Next
Every injury claim in the GTA runs under Ontario law, so most of the rules are the same in Brampton as in Scarborough. Location matters when a city or region may be responsible, and in winter.
The Rules That Stay the Same
After a car accident, you claim accident benefits from your own auto insurer regardless of who was at fault, and you should notify that insurer within 7 days. A lawsuit usually has to start within 2 years under the Limitations Act, 2002. Our guide to Ontario car accident claim deadlines sets out each step.
Notice to a City Within 10 Days
If a broken sidewalk or a poorly maintained road caused the injury, the Municipal Act, 2001 and, in Toronto, the City of Toronto Act, 2006 require written notice to the municipal clerk within 10 days, giving the date, time and location. If two or more municipalities are jointly responsible for the road, each clerk must receive notice. A judge can excuse late notice when there is a reasonable excuse and the municipality's defence is not prejudiced, but meeting the deadline avoids that dispute.
Which City Receives the Notice
North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke have been part of the City of Toronto since 1998, so notice about a city road or sidewalk in any of them goes to the City of Toronto clerk. Thornhill has no city hall of its own. Yonge Street divides it between the City of Vaughan to the west and the City of Markham to the east, so the exact spot decides which municipality, or York Region itself, is responsible.
Snow and Ice
A municipality is liable for a fall on snow or ice on a sidewalk only if it was grossly negligent. On private property, such as a plaza parking lot or an apartment walkway, you must give written notice within 60 days of a snow or ice injury. Our article on Ontario's 60-day notice rule explains who must receive it, and our slip and fall lawyers can take on the claim.
If you are unsure which deadline applies to you, call (416) 238-7105 or book a free consultation. We will tell you which rules apply and what to do first.