Bicycle Accident Lawyers in Ontario
A cyclist struck by a motor vehicle is entitled to the same auto accident benefits as anyone else on the road, even without a car of their own. Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm are Ontario trial lawyers who secure those benefits and pursue a full tort claim against the driver — and who refuse to let an insurer pin the blame on the rider.
A Cyclist on the Road Has Real Insurance Rights.
Many injured cyclists assume that because they were on a bicycle, the auto insurance system has nothing for them. In Ontario the opposite is true. When a motor vehicle strikes a cyclist, that collision falls within the auto accident framework, and the rider can claim no-fault accident benefits — typically through the insurer of the vehicle involved, a household auto policy, or the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. Those benefits exist regardless of whether the cyclist owns a car.
That distinction is important because the injuries are rarely minor. A rider has no metal shell and only a helmet for protection, so even a moderate impact can produce a brain injury, broken collarbones and wrists, spinal damage, facial injuries, and serious road rash. Treating those injuries and rebuilding a life is expensive, and the accident benefits plus a tort claim against the driver are what make recovery financially possible.
Ryan Naimark spent roughly two decades defending insurance companies before he began acting for injured people. He has seen first-hand how insurers evaluate and resist cyclist claims, and he now turns that knowledge entirely to his clients' benefit. Together with Ben Azimi's trial advocacy, it lets us anticipate and dismantle the defences these claims usually face.
Cyclists are legitimate road users with rights under the Highway Traffic Act, yet insurers reflexively try to blame the rider — arguing they ran a light, rode outside the bike lane, or were not wearing a helmet. We meet those arguments with the actual rules of the road, scene evidence, and medical analysis, and we make the driver answer for the harm they caused.
No Win. No Fee. Our legal fees are a percentage of your recovery, and the firm advances the disbursements that prove your case. If there is no recovery, you owe nothing in legal fees.
Types of Bicycle Accident Claims We Handle
The way a cyclist is struck shapes who is at fault and how the case must be proven. These are the collisions we encounter most often on Ontario roads.
"Dooring" Collisions
An occupant opening a car door into the path of a passing cyclist can cause a violent fall and serious injury. Ontario's Highway Traffic Act places responsibility on the person who opens a door without checking, and we build the claim around that duty.
Right-Hook & Left-Cross Turns
A driver turning right across a bike lane, or turning left across an oncoming rider, is among the most common and dangerous crashes. These cases turn on right-of-way and visibility, which we establish with scene evidence and witnesses.
Bike-Lane & Intersection Crashes
Drivers drift into bike lanes, fail to check before crossing them, or misjudge a cyclist's speed at an intersection. We use the rules governing bike lanes and rights of way to fix fault on the driver who breached them.
Failure to Yield to Cyclists
Cyclists have the right to the road, but drivers frequently treat them as if they are invisible — pulling out from side streets or driveways into their path. We rely on the Highway Traffic Act duties owed to riders to hold drivers accountable.
Distracted & Impaired Drivers
A driver on a phone or impaired by alcohol or drugs may never register the cyclist ahead. We obtain phone records, dashcam footage, and police evidence to prove fault and, where the conduct warrants it, seek additional damages.
Hit-and-Run & Uninsured Drivers
If the driver flees or has no insurance, you may still recover — through uninsured coverage on a household auto policy or the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. Prompt reporting is required, so contact us right away.
Compensation Available After a Bicycle Accident
Your recovery is built from two sources — accident benefits and a tort claim against the driver. We pursue every category you are entitled to under both.
Income Replacement
Accident benefits can replace a portion of your lost earnings while you cannot work, and a tort claim can recover past and future income loss and lost earning capacity in full from the at-fault driver.
Medical & Rehabilitation
Funding for treatment, surgery, physiotherapy, assistive devices, and home modifications. Non-catastrophic limits apply to most claims, while a catastrophic designation raises the limit to $1,000,000.
Attendant Care
If your injuries leave you needing help with personal care, attendant care benefits cover that assistance — and grow substantially once an injury is classified as catastrophic.
Pain & Suffering
Non-pecuniary damages for the effect of the injury on your life, recovered through the tort claim where the harm meets Ontario's legal threshold and survives the statutory deductible.
Future Care Costs
The projected lifetime cost of treatment, attendant care, equipment, and support beyond what benefits will fund — often the largest single part of a serious cycling claim.
Family Law Act Claims
Spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings may claim for the loss of an injured or deceased rider's care, guidance, and companionship, and for the services they must now provide.
The Legal Process & Critical Deadlines
Cycling claims hinge on early action, especially when fault is contested and evidence on the road fades quickly. The most valuable thing you can do is call early.
Get Medical Care & Document Everything
Treat your injuries and keep treating them. The medical record you create is what later proves the seriousness of your injuries and whether they fall outside the minor-injury limits.
Identify the Right Insurer & Notify — 7 Days
A cyclist's benefits may come from the involved vehicle's insurer, a household auto policy, or the Fund. Notice should reach the benefits insurer within about seven days, and the OCF-1 application is generally due within 30 days of receiving the forms.
Preserve Tort Rights — 120-Day Notice
Written notice of an intention to sue the at-fault driver must be served within 120 days of the collision under the Insurance Act. We take care of this step for you.
Investigate & Build the Case
We secure the police report, the bicycle itself, dashcam and surveillance footage, and medical opinions while the evidence is still available.
Negotiate From Strength — or Go to Trial
We aim for full settlement but prepare each file for court. Insurers offer fairly when they see that a claim is genuinely ready for trial.
Two-year limitation. A tort claim in Ontario must generally be commenced within two years of the collision under the Limitations Act, 2002, and shorter notice periods apply to your accident benefits and your right to sue. If the vehicle was never identified, special reporting rules apply. Call before a deadline decides your case for you.
Why Injured Cyclists Choose Azimi Law & Naimark Law Firm
We Know How Insurers Think
Ryan Naimark spent 20 years defending insurance companies. He understands how they value and contest cyclist claims, and that insight now shapes how we build and press yours.
We Are Trial Lawyers
We prepare every file for court, not just for a settlement conference. That readiness is what moves an insurer off a lowball offer.
Two Firms, Combined Strength
Azimi Law and Naimark Law Firm work together so your claim has the resources, experience, and bench strength of two established Ontario practices.
No Win, No Fee
There is nothing to pay up front and no legal fee unless we recover for you. We fund the disbursements required to advance your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
I was on a bicycle, not in a car. Can I claim accident benefits?+
Yes. When a motor vehicle strikes a cyclist in Ontario, the collision falls within the auto accident framework, and the rider can claim no-fault accident benefits even without owning a car. The benefits usually come from the insurer of the vehicle involved, from a household auto policy, or from the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. We identify the responsible insurer and pursue your benefits there.
What is "dooring," and who is responsible?+
"Dooring" happens when someone opens a car door into the path of a passing cyclist, leaving no time to stop or swerve. Ontario's Highway Traffic Act requires a person to ensure it is safe before opening a door into traffic, so responsibility generally rests with the person who opened it. We gather the evidence needed to establish that and pursue your claim accordingly.
The insurer says I'm at fault because I wasn't wearing a helmet. Is that right?+
Not on its own. The driver who struck you is still responsible for causing the collision. Insurers sometimes raise helmet use to argue the rider contributed to certain injuries, but Ontario uses a contributory negligence system, so at most this might reduce compensation rather than eliminate the claim — and only where it actually affected the injury. We respond to these arguments with medical evidence rather than accepting them.
What if the driver fled the scene or had no insurance?+
You may still recover. Compensation can come from the uninsured coverage on a household auto policy or from the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund where no other insurance responds. These claims involve specific reporting and procedural requirements, so it is important to contact us as soon as possible after the crash.
What does a catastrophic impairment designation change?+
Catastrophic impairment is a defined category under Ontario's accident benefits rules covering the most severe outcomes, including certain brain injuries, paraplegia, amputations, a high level of whole-person impairment, and serious mental-behavioural impairment. The designation raises the available medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care limits to $1,000,000. We pursue it with supporting medical evidence when an injury qualifies.
Ontario's accident benefits are changing on July 1, 2026 — how does that affect me?+
From July 1, 2026, Ontario is making several accident benefits optional rather than automatic. Medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care remain mandatory, while benefits such as income replacement may depend on the coverage purchased. For a cyclist, the benefits available generally depend on the policy that responds to the claim on the accident date. We review the relevant coverage and pursue every benefit available to you.
How long do I have to start a bicycle accident claim?+
The general limitation period is two years from the collision, but earlier deadlines come first — about seven days to notify the benefits insurer, 30 days for the application, and 120 days to give notice of a tort claim against the driver. These periods are strict and easy to miss, so the safest step is to call promptly so nothing lapses.
What does it cost to hire you?+
Nothing up front. We act on a contingency fee basis, so our legal fee is a percentage of what we recover, and the firm funds the disbursements needed to advance your case. If there is no recovery, you owe no legal fees. We explain the agreement in plain language before you sign anything.
Hit While Cycling? Talk to a Trial Lawyer.
Free consultation. No obligation. No win, no fee. Available 24 / 7 / 365.