Car Accident Lawyer in Etobicoke
Etobicoke is where Highways 401, 427, 409 and the QEW meet Toronto's west-end streets. If a collision there has left you injured, MAZI LAW claims the accident benefits and compensation you are owed — and we charge nothing unless we win.
If you were injured in a car accident in Etobicoke, you can usually claim no-fault accident benefits for treatment and care, and sue an at-fault driver for pain and suffering, lost income and future care. Because Etobicoke is part of the City of Toronto, claims about road or sidewalk defects need written notice to the city clerk within 10 days. MAZI LAW works on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Etobicoke combines some of the most complex highway interchanges in Ontario with busy neighbourhood main streets. Highway 401 and Highway 427 cross near Toronto Pearson, Highway 409 feeds airport traffic, and the QEW and Gardiner Expressway meet Highway 427 at the south end. Local arterials — Kipling and Islington Avenues, The Queensway, Lake Shore Boulevard West, Bloor Street, Eglinton Avenue, Dixon Road, Rexdale Boulevard and Albion Road — carry commuters, buses, delivery trucks, cyclists and pedestrians side by side.
MAZI LAW represents people injured in collisions across Etobicoke — in Mimico, New Toronto, Long Branch, Humber Bay Shores, The Kingsway, Islington Village, Alderwood, Markland Wood, Rexdale and Thistletown — from our office at Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue in North York, on the same subway network that connects Etobicoke to the rest of the city.
Where Etobicoke collisions happen
Highway crashes in Etobicoke often happen at the interchanges, where drivers change lanes quickly to reach the 401, 427, 409 or QEW, and where traffic slows suddenly near the airport. These collisions tend to involve higher speeds and multiple vehicles. On local streets, the pattern is different: left-turn collisions at signalized intersections, rear-end crashes in rush-hour traffic on The Queensway and Kipling, and collisions with cyclists and pedestrians along Lake Shore Boulevard and near transit stations such as Kipling, Islington, Royal York and Old Mill, or the Mimico and Long Branch GO stations.
Collisions on Etobicoke's city streets are investigated by the Toronto Police Service, while crashes on the provincial highways are generally handled by the Ontario Provincial Police. Injury collisions and any collision causing over $2,000 in combined damage must be reported. Injured people are commonly taken to Etobicoke General Hospital, part of William Osler Health System, and the most serious trauma cases may go to one of Toronto's trauma centres, such as St. Michael's Hospital or Sunnybrook.
When the road itself is part of the problem
Because Etobicoke is part of the City of Toronto, claims about the condition of a City road or sidewalk — a deep pothole, a missing sign, a broken curb — are governed by section 42 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. The City must keep its roads in a reasonable state of repair, but no lawsuit can proceed unless written notice of the claim is served on, or sent by registered mail to, the city clerk within 10 days of the injury, including the date, time and location. The notice requirement doesn't bar a claim if the injured person dies, or if a judge finds a reasonable excuse and no prejudice to the City — but relying on those exceptions is risky.
The same short deadline applies to falls on City sidewalks, where the City is only liable for injuries caused by snow or ice if it was grossly negligent. Our guide explains the 10-day notice rule for City of Toronto property step by step.
Accident benefits and the claim against the driver
Accident benefits
No-fault medical, rehabilitation and attendant care from an auto insurer — $3,500 under the Minor Injury Guideline, $65,000 combined for other non-catastrophic injuries and up to $1,000,000 if catastrophic. Since July 1, 2026, income replacement and other benefits are optional for new and renewed policies.
Tort claim
Pain and suffering for a permanent, serious impairment (2026 deductible of $47,913.01 on awards below $159,708.71), lost income, future care, housekeeping and Family Law Act claims for close family members.
Most clients have both claims, and they interact: what you receive in accident benefits can reduce certain amounts recoverable from the at-fault driver, and statements made to one insurer can be used by the other. We coordinate both from the start, and if your own insurer denies treatment or cuts off benefits, we can challenge the decision at the Licence Appeal Tribunal — see our decisions page.
What an Etobicoke car accident claim can include
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, psychological treatment and medication
- Attendant care and help at home
- Past and future income loss and reduced earning capacity
- Pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life
- Future care costs and home or vehicle modifications after serious injuries
- Losses of close family members under the Family Law Act
Time limits after an Etobicoke collision
- 7 days — notify an auto insurer that you intend to claim accident benefits (or as soon as practicable).
- 30 days — submit the application after receiving the forms.
- 10 days — written notice to the City of Toronto clerk if a road or sidewalk defect was involved.
- 120 days — written notice to the at-fault driver of your intention to sue.
- 2 years — start a lawsuit; start a Licence Appeal Tribunal dispute within two years of a refusal.
What to do after a crash in Etobicoke
- 1
Call 911 if anyone is hurt
On the 401, 427 or QEW, stay buckled in if it isn't safe to leave your vehicle.
- 2
Gather evidence
Plates, insurance details, witness contacts, photos of the scene and road conditions, and any nearby cameras — TTC vehicles and businesses often record.
- 3
Report the collision
Report injury collisions to police and keep the incident number.
- 4
See a doctor
Get assessed within days and follow recommended treatment.
- 5
Call MAZI LAW
Speak with us before giving any recorded statement — the consultation is free.
Why Etobicoke clients choose MAZI LAW
Injury law, exclusively
Personal injury and accident benefits are the only areas we practise.
Tribunal results
We publish the Licence Appeal Tribunal decisions we've won against insurers.
No win, no fee
No upfront costs — our fee comes from compensation we recover for you.
Six languages
English, Russian, Hebrew, Farsi, Hindi and Punjabi spoken by our team.
Get a free, no-obligation case review today.
416-229-6000Etobicoke car accident lawyer — FAQs
Potentially, if the City failed to keep the road in a reasonable state of repair and none of its statutory defences apply. Written notice must reach the city clerk within 10 days of the injury, so contact a lawyer immediately.
Your own auto insurer pays accident benefits regardless of fault. The at-fault driver's insurer responds to the separate tort claim for pain and suffering and other losses.
Very possibly. Cyclists can claim accident benefits and sue a negligent driver. Under the Highway Traffic Act, the driver bears the onus of disproving negligence when a vehicle injures someone on a highway, outside of collisions between vehicles.
Accident benefits begin soon after you apply. A tort claim usually takes longer because it's best valued once your recovery and prognosis are clear — often one to three years.
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency basis — see our legal fees page.
Areas & services we cover
Sources & legislation
- Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 — s. 193 (onus on the driver) — where loss or damage is caused by a motor vehicle on a highway, the driver must prove it did not arise through their negligence; "motor vehicle" includes a streetcar.
- Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10 — accident benefits, the 7-day notice (s. 32) and the two-year limit to dispute a refusal (s. 56).
- Insurance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.8 — which insurer pays accident benefits (s. 268), the 120-day notice to an at-fault driver (s. 258.3) and the tort threshold (s. 267.5).
- Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24 — the general two-year limitation period for starting a lawsuit.
- FSRA — Changes to statutory accident benefits coverage (July 1, 2026) — which benefits remain mandatory and which became optional.
- City of Toronto Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 11, Sched. A — s. 42 — the City's duty to repair roads and sidewalks, the gross-negligence standard for snow and ice, and the 10-day notice to the city clerk.