TTC & Public Transit Accident Lawyers in Ontario
Millions of Ontarians trust a bus, streetcar, subway, or GO train to get them home safely every day. When that trust is broken and you are hurt, you may face a transit authority that knows how to fight a claim — and a written-notice deadline that can be measured in days, not years. Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm are Ontario trial lawyers who act fast to protect your rights and hold transit operators to the high standard of care the law demands of them.
A High Duty of Care — and a Very Short Clock.
A public transit operator is what the law calls a common carrier, and common carriers owe their passengers a high duty of care to carry them safely. That standard applies whether you are riding a TTC bus, holding a pole on a streetcar, descending into a subway station, or commuting on a GO train. When a sudden, unnecessary stop throws you to the floor, when a vehicle pulls away before you are seated, or when a transit vehicle strikes you in a crosswalk, the operator can be held responsible for the harm that follows.
The catch is timing. Claims against a municipal transit authority are governed by special notice rules that require written notice of your claim very quickly after the incident — often within roughly ten days. Miss that window without a good reason and an otherwise strong claim can be barred before it begins. This is the central reason we urge anyone hurt on or by public transit to call immediately, even if your injuries are still being assessed.
Ryan Naimark spent nearly twenty years defending insurers and the institutions they protect before he turned to representing injured people. He understands exactly how a large transit defendant builds a file, where it looks to deny liability, and what evidence forces it to take a claim seriously. Combined with Ben Azimi's courtroom experience, that knowledge now works for you from the first phone call.
Many transit collisions also involve a motor vehicle, which means accident benefits may be available through an applicable auto policy regardless of fault. We assess whether the no-fault accident benefits framework applies to your situation while we simultaneously pursue a liability claim against the transit authority or any other responsible party. Handling both together ensures no avenue of recovery is left unexplored.
No Win. No Fee. Our legal fee is a percentage of what we recover for you. The firm advances the disbursements needed to build your claim. If there is no recovery, you owe no legal fees.
Types of Public Transit Accident Claims We Handle
Transit injuries happen in many ways, and the circumstances determine who is liable, which notice rules apply, and how the case must be proven.
Sudden-Stop & Jerk Injuries
A standing passenger has little protection when a bus or streetcar brakes hard or lurches forward without warning. These abrupt manoeuvres can cause serious falls, and we examine whether the stop was truly unavoidable or the result of inattentive operation.
Falls Boarding & Exiting
Passengers are vulnerable getting on and off. A vehicle that pulls away too soon, a poorly positioned stop, or a hazardous step can lead to a fall. We look closely at how the operator managed the boarding process.
Slips, Trips & Platform Hazards
Wet floors, debris, broken seats, faulty doors, and dangerous platform or escalator conditions can injure riders. These cases may engage both the transit authority's duty as a carrier and its duty as an occupier of the station.
Pedestrians & Cyclists Struck
A bus or streetcar that fails to yield can strike a person in a crosswalk or a cyclist sharing the road. The size of these vehicles makes such collisions especially dangerous, and the high duty owed by the operator is central to the claim.
Transit Vehicle Collisions
When a bus or streetcar collides with another vehicle, passengers inside can be thrown and injured. These cases often involve more than one insurer, and accident benefits may apply alongside a liability claim.
Catastrophic & Fatal Incidents
When a transit collision causes a brain injury, paralysis, amputation, or death, the consequences last a lifetime. We pursue the fullest available compensation and advance Family Law Act claims for affected family members.
Compensation Available After a Transit Accident
Depending on how your injury happened, your recovery may come from a liability claim against the transit authority, an accident benefits claim, or both. We pursue every category you are entitled to.
Income Replacement
Where an auto policy applies, accident benefits can replace part of your lost income, and a liability claim seeks your full past and future income loss and reduced earning capacity from those at fault.
Medical & Rehabilitation
Funding for treatment, surgery, physiotherapy, assistive devices, and home modifications. Where the accident benefits framework applies, non-catastrophic limits are standard and a catastrophic designation raises the limit to $1,000,000.
Attendant Care
If your injuries leave you needing help with personal care and daily living, attendant care support may be available, with substantially higher amounts once an injury is classified as catastrophic.
Pain & Suffering
Non-pecuniary damages for the impact of the injury on your life, recovered through the liability claim against the responsible party for the harm you have endured.
Future Care Costs
The projected lifetime cost of treatment, attendant care, equipment, and support beyond what any benefits will fund — often the most significant part of a serious claim.
Family Law Act Claims
Spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings may claim for the loss of an injured or deceased loved one's care, guidance, and companionship, and for the services they provide.
The Legal Process & Critical Deadlines
Transit claims live or die on early action, and the notice deadlines here are among the shortest in personal injury law. The most important thing you can do is call right away.
Report the Incident & Get Medical Care
Tell the operator or transit staff what happened and seek medical attention. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates the record that proves your injuries later.
Give Written Notice — Often About 10 Days
A claim against a municipal transit authority typically requires written notice of the claim very quickly after the incident, often within roughly ten days. We prepare and deliver that notice for you, so do not delay in contacting us.
Preserve the Evidence
We move to secure onboard and station video, operator records, incident reports, and witness information before that material is lost or recorded over.
Assess Accident Benefits
Where a motor vehicle is involved, we determine whether the no-fault accident benefits framework applies and ensure any required insurer notices are made on time.
Negotiate From Strength — or Go to Trial
We pursue full settlement but prepare every file for court. Transit defendants pay fairly when they see we are ready to take the case before a judge or jury.
A short notice period applies. While the general limitation period in Ontario is two years, a claim against a municipal transit authority can require written notice within only about ten days of the incident. Courts may excuse late notice in limited circumstances, but you should never rely on that. Call immediately so the deadline does not decide your case.
Why Injured Riders Choose Azimi Law & Naimark Law Firm
We Know How Transit Defendants Operate
Ryan Naimark spent close to two decades defending insurers and large institutions. That insider view now shapes how we move quickly and build pressure on every transit claim.
We Are Trial Lawyers
We prepare each case as though it is headed for court, not just settlement talks. That readiness is what makes a well-resourced transit authority take your claim seriously.
Two Firms, Combined Depth
Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm join forces so your file carries the resources and bench strength of two established Ontario practices.
No Win, No Fee
You pay nothing up front and no legal fees unless we recover for you. The firm funds the cost of investigating and proving your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly do I have to act after a TTC or transit injury?+
Very quickly. A claim against a municipal transit authority is generally subject to a short written-notice requirement, often around ten days from the incident. This is far shorter than the two-year limitation period that applies to many other claims. Because missing the notice deadline can bar your claim, you should call a lawyer immediately rather than waiting to see how your injuries develop.
What does it mean that a transit operator is a "common carrier"?+
A common carrier is a service that transports the public, and the law holds it to a high duty of care to carry passengers safely. That elevated standard applies to buses, streetcars, subways, and GO trains. It means an operator can be responsible for harm caused by, for example, an unnecessarily sudden stop or pulling away before a passenger is safely seated.
I was hurt by a sudden stop but no other vehicle was involved. Do I have a claim?+
Possibly. A standing passenger thrown by an abrupt, unnecessary stop or lurch may have a valid claim against the transit operator, who owes a high duty of care. The key question is whether the manoeuvre was genuinely unavoidable or the result of careless operation, which is why preserving onboard video and operator records early matters so much.
Can I claim accident benefits after a transit accident?+
It depends on the circumstances. Where a motor vehicle is involved in the incident, the no-fault accident benefits framework may apply, providing medical, rehabilitation, and other support through an applicable auto policy regardless of fault. We assess whether accident benefits are available in your case and pursue them alongside any liability claim against the transit authority.
What if I was struck by a bus or streetcar as a pedestrian or cyclist?+
You may have a strong claim. The operator owes a high duty of care to others on the road, and the size of these vehicles makes such collisions extremely serious. As with passenger claims, a short notice period can apply to a municipal transit authority, so it is important to reach out promptly so your rights are protected.
Ontario's accident benefits are changing on July 1, 2026 — how does that affect me?+
As of July 1, 2026, Ontario is making several accident benefits optional rather than automatic where the accident benefits framework applies. Medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits remain mandatory, while benefits such as income replacement may depend on the coverage purchased on the policy. The benefits available generally depend on the policy in force on the date of your accident, and we review your coverage carefully.
What does it cost to hire you?+
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee basis, so our legal fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, calculated net of disbursements, and the firm funds the disbursements needed to advance your claim. If there is no recovery, you owe no legal fees. We explain the agreement in plain language before you sign.
Hurt on Public Transit? Call Now — The Clock Is Short.
Free consultation. No obligation. No win, no fee. Available 24 / 7 / 365.