Dog Bite Lawyers in Ontario
Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act makes an owner liable for a bite or attack whether or not the dog had ever shown aggression before. There is no free first bite in Ontario.
Deadlines that apply to you
These are the dates that end claims. Check them first.
In most Ontario claims you have two years from the day you knew, or ought to have known, that you had a claim.
Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sched. B, s. 4
How this actually works
Ontario is stricter than most people expect. Under the Dog Owners' Liability Act, an owner is responsible for damage a dog causes by biting or attacking, and you do not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
That removes the argument most owners reach for first, which is that the dog had never done it before.
These cases matter more than the wound suggests. Facial scarring and the psychological effect on a child can be lasting, and both belong in the claim.
Get medical attention and report it
Bites carry serious infection risk. Reporting to your local public health unit also creates the record of what happened.
Identify the owner
Name, address and insurance. Homeowner or tenant insurance usually responds to these claims.
Photograph the injury over time
Not once. Scarring changes over months, and how it settles matters to the assessment.
Include the psychological effect
Particularly with children. A lasting fear of dogs is a real and compensable consequence.
What this costs you
We fight for the maximum compensation your claim will carry, and you do not pay a dollar unless we win.
Nothing up front. The consultation is free, we act on contingency, and we advance the costs of building the case so a claim is never held up by money. If we do not recover anything, you do not owe a fee.
- Free consultation, no obligation
- Not a dollar unless we win
- We advance disbursements
- Home and hospital visits across the GTA
Questions we get every week
That does not matter in Ontario. Liability under the Dog Owners' Liability Act does not depend on the owner knowing the dog was dangerous.
It can be raised, particularly if you were trespassing, and may affect the share of responsibility. It does not automatically end the claim.
Home or tenant insurance commonly covers these claims, so the owner's personal finances are often not the limiting factor.
Yes. The limitation period does not start running until a child turns 18.
The Act covers attacks, and a claim may still exist in ordinary negligence. It is worth asking about.
Related areas
Municipal Liability
Claims against a municipality in Ontario run on a far shorter clock than ordinary claims.
Read moreSlip and Fall
Slip and fall claims in Ontario carry notice deadlines far shorter than the usual two year limitation period.
Read moreCatastrophic Injury
In Ontario, a catastrophic impairment designation raises the combined medical, rehabilitation and attendant care limit from $65,000 to $1,000,000 and removes the time limit.
Read moreFurther reading
Plain-language guides on the parts of an Ontario claim people ask about most.
Where we act in Ontario
The limitation period, the statutory deductible and the tort threshold are provincial, so they are identical in every city here. What changes is who must be served inside the 10-day notice window, and that is decided by the city.
The lawyer on your file
A lawyer reads every enquiry. Not a form.
Send us what happened and Shawn Sidhu reads it himself, then replies the same business day. The first conversation is free and there is no obligation.
If we do not think you have a claim, we will tell you that too. You will know where you stand before you decide anything.
Shawn Sidhu, Lawyer
Called to the bar in British Columbia, 2013
University of British Columbia · University of Birmingham
- Free consultation, no obligation
- Not a dollar unless we win
- We come to you at home or in hospital
Your fight becomes ours the day you call us.
Consultations are free and there is no obligation. If we take the case you pay nothing unless we win, and if we think you do not have a claim we will tell you that too.
Start your free case review
Tell us what happened. A lawyer reviews every enquiry, and we reply the same business day.
Thank you. We have your request.
A lawyer is reviewing what you sent and will call you the same business day. There is nothing else you need to do right now.
If you would rather not wait, call us now.
(416) 678-8765Free consultation, and no fee unless we win.