Maurice Vaturi
Senior Counsel
Personal Injury
Premises Liability Lawyers Torontofor slip and fall, dog bite, and property-based injuries
Trusted by accident victims and businesses across Ontario
Overview
Property owners have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe
An icy parking lot in Scarborough that was not salted overnight. A condominium balcony with a missing guardrail. A grocery store aisle with a spill that no one cleaned for an hour. A dog left unleashed in a North York park. A defective space heater that catches fire. These are the everyday situations that produce premises liability claims — situations where someone else's failure to maintain safe conditions caused an injury that should not have happened.
The legal framework is set primarily by Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act, which imposes a duty on property owners and occupiers to take reasonable care that visitors are reasonably safe. Beyond that general framework, specific statutes apply: the Dog Owners' Liability Act for dog bites; the Municipal Act for falls on city property; building code provisions for structural failures; product liability principles for defective items.
VC Lawyers represents Toronto-area clients across the full range of premises liability claims. The first 30-minute consultation is free, all cases are handled on contingency (no fee unless we recover), and we work in English, Korean, and several other languages. Critical procedural deadlines apply — call early.
Practice areas
Premises liability claim categories
Each premises claim type has its own duty framework, evidence requirements, and procedural rules. Our practice covers the full range.
/01
Slip & Fall
Falls on ice, wet floors, defective stairs — the leading source of premises liability claims in Ontario.
/02
Drowning Accidents
Pool, beach, lake, and recreational water injuries — supervision, fencing, and signage liability.
/03
Balcony & Deck Accidents
Structural failures, missing guards, and unsafe heights in residential and commercial buildings.
/04
Dog Bite
Strict liability under Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act — owner responsibility regardless of negligence.
/05
Product Liability
Defective products causing injury — manufacturer, distributor, and retailer liability.
/06
Occupier's Liability
The general framework under the Occupiers' Liability Act — duty to keep premises reasonably safe.
Talk to us
Every premises liability case deserves a careful look
The first 30-minute consultation is free and confidential. We will tell you within that conversation what your realistic options are — and what to do next.
No fee unless we recover. Home and hospital visits available across the GTA.
Our team
The lawyers who will handle your case
Premises liability cases require lawyers who understand the duty frameworks, can move quickly on evidence preservation, and have experience contesting both private and municipal defendants.
Avi Vaturi
Partner
Jae Hyon Cho
Partner
Jun Ki Lee
Associate
Allan Weiss
Associate
Kate Min Kwon
Immigration Consultant
RCIC R529664 · RQIC 11726
Frequently Asked Questions
We answered all
What is premises liability?
Premises liability is the area of personal injury law dealing with injuries that happen on someone else's property because of unsafe conditions. The legal framework is set primarily by Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act, which imposes a duty on property owners and occupiers to take reasonable care that visitors are reasonably safe. Specific sub-areas include slip and fall, dog bite, drowning, and product liability — each with its own additional rules.What should I do immediately after a slip and fall?
Seek medical attention. Report the incident to the property owner or occupier and ask for a written incident report. Photograph the hazard, the location, and your injuries before anything is cleaned up. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses. Preserve the shoes and clothing you were wearing. Note the weather conditions if relevant. Then contact a personal injury lawyer — and remember the 10-day notice requirement for falls on city-maintained sidewalks.What is the 10-day notice requirement?
Under the Municipal Act, 2001, anyone planning to sue a municipality (including the City of Toronto) for a slip and fall on a sidewalk or other municipal property must provide written notice of the claim within 10 days of the incident. Failure to provide proper notice can defeat the claim entirely. The notice must identify the specific location, date, and circumstances. This is one of the hardest deadlines in Ontario personal injury law and traps many self-represented claimants.Who is liable in a dog bite case?
Ontario's Dog Owners' Liability Act imposes strict liability on dog owners for damages caused by their dogs. This means the claimant does not need to prove the owner was negligent — only that the dog caused the injury and the defendant owned the dog. Strict liability makes dog bite cases easier to establish than ordinary negligence claims. Multiple owners or co-owners can each be liable. Damages include medical costs, lost income, scarring, psychological impact, and pain and suffering.What if I was partially at fault for the incident?
Ontario follows comparative negligence under the Negligence Act. Even if you were partially responsible, you can still recover damages — your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Examples in premises cases: wearing inappropriate footwear in winter conditions; ignoring posted warnings; entering an obviously unsafe area. An experienced lawyer argues for the lowest defensible fault percentage.What does it cost to hire a premises liability lawyer?
All premises liability cases at VC Lawyers are handled on contingency — no fee unless we recover. The contingency percentage is set in writing at the start, typically 25%–33% depending on complexity. Disbursements (incident reports, expert engineers, medical records, court fees) are advanced by the firm and recovered from the eventual settlement. The first 30-minute consultation is free.
Where we work
Service areas
VC Lawyers serves clients throughout the Greater Toronto Area, including Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Newmarket, and Aurora. We also represent clients across Ontario through video consultations and home/hospital visits when needed.
Languages spoken at the firm include English, Korean (한국어), Hebrew, Mandarin, and others depending on lawyer assignment.
Our office is located at 1110 Finch Avenue West, Suite 310, in North York, with parking and TTC access (Finch West subway and bus connections).
Take the next step
Injured on someone else's property? You may be entitled to compensation.
Speak with an experienced premises liability lawyer at VC Lawyers today — for free. The first conversation is no-obligation, the relationship is contingent (no fee unless we recover), and within 30 minutes you will have a clear understanding of your rights, your realistic options, and the procedural deadlines that apply.
Related categories
Other practice areas
/01
Vehicle Accidents
For motor vehicle collision claims.
/02
Catastrophic Injuries
For falls and premises injuries reaching catastrophic threshold.
/03
Disability Claims
For LTD and disability benefits after a serious fall.
/04
Workplace & Specialty Claims
For workplace falls and premises injuries on construction sites.
/05
Personal Injury Hub
Return to the master practice area overview.