Ontario Personal Injury Limitation Period
If you were injured in an accident in Ontario, the clock started the moment it happened, and it is already working against you.
Under Ontario law, personal injury claims are subject to a strict limitation period. In most cases, you have two years to file a lawsuit, but don't let that number give you false comfort. Some deadlines are far shorter, and if you miss one, you will lose your right to pursue compensation permanently, no matter how strong your case may be or how serious your injuries are.
Understanding these deadlines right now, not next week, not "eventually," is critical to protecting your rights and your financial future.
What Is a Limitation Period?
A limitation period is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit, and once it passes, there is no reopening it. In Ontario personal injury cases, this deadline generally begins running from the date you discovered, or should have discovered, that you have a claim, which is often, though not always, the date of the accident itself.
This applies to cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall injuries
- Dog bites
- Wrongful death claims
- Other negligence-related injuries
If you attempt to file your claim after the deadline has passed, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case, permanently, and no amount of evidence or legal skill can fix that.
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Are There Exceptions to the Two-Year Deadline?
Yes, and this is where people lose their case before they even know they have one. Don't assume you have two full years. Some of the most common types of accidents come with deadlines that are dramatically shorter, and missing them can end your claim before it ever starts.
For example:
- Claims involving municipalities or other government entities, such as an accident on a public sidewalk or with a TTC vehicle, often require written notice in as little as 10 days. Miss that window, and it may not matter how much time is left on the two-year clock, your claim can be barred entirely.
- Cases involving minors or individuals who lack legal capacity generally don’t start the two-year clock until the minor turns 18 or the person regains capacity, but every other case type follows the standard clock, and it moves fast.
- Wrongful death claims run from the date of death itself, not from when the full circumstances become clear, so grieving families can lose time they didn’t realize they were losing.
Because these exceptions are unforgiving and highly fact-specific, waiting even a few days to speak with a lawyer could cost you your entire claim.
Why Acting Quickly Matters
Even if you believe you have plenty of time, delaying action can seriously, and sometimes irreversibly, damage your case, often in ways you won't discover until it's too late to fix.
Over time:
Evidence disappears
Surveillance footage gets erased or overwritten, often within days or weeks
Witnesses' memories fade, and some become impossible to locate
Insurance companies use every day you wait to build their defense against you
At Merricks Law Group, we act immediately to protect our clients, because we know delay is the enemy of every personal injury claim. Our team will:
Promptly evaluate your case
Preserve critical evidence before it's lost for good
Communicate with insurance companies on your behalf
Ensure every legal deadline, no matter how short, is met
File your claim on time, every time
Taking early action strengthens your case. Waiting weakens it, and it may cost you the chance to recover anything at all.
Don't Lose Your Right to Compensation
Out-of-pocket medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and long-term care costs can place enormous strain on you and your family, strain that only grows the longer you wait to act. Missing the limitation period deadline doesn't just delay your claim, it ends it, forfeiting your opportunity to recover these damages for good, with no second chances.
For years, accident victims across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area have relied on Merricks Law Group to guide them through every step of the personal injury claims process, often stepping in just in time to protect a claim that was about to slip away.
We are prepared to do the same for you, but only if you act now.
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If you have been injured due to someone else's negligence, do not wait to get legal guidance. Every single day that passes is a day closer to losing your right to act, permanently. Your future, and your ability to recover what you're owed, may depend entirely on what you do right now.
Contact Merricks Law Group today to schedule a consultation and protect your right to pursue compensation before it's too late.
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