Kanevsky Law Warns Ontario Slip-and-Fall Victims of a Little-Known 60-Day Deadline as Winter Sets In

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Kanevsky Law Warns Ontario Slip-and-Fall Victims of a Little-Known 60-Day Deadline as Winter Sets In

Toronto firm urges anyone injured on ice or snow to act fast — a written-notice rule many accident victims have never heard of can quietly end a valid claim.

TORONTO, ON — November 11, 2026 — As the season's first freeze settles over the Greater Toronto Area, Kanevsky Law is urging anyone injured in a winter slip and fall to understand a deadline most Ontarians don't know exists. Under changes to the province's Occupiers' Liability Act, a person hurt by snow or ice on private property now has just 60 days to deliver written notice to the property owner and any snow-removal contractor — or risk losing the right to sue altogether.

“Every winter we hear from people weeks or months after a bad fall who assumed they had two years to decide what to do,” said Olga Kanevsky, founding lawyer at the firm and a personal injury lawyer Toronto residents have trusted for more than 20 years. “For ice and snow cases, that's no longer true. If you miss the 60-day window, an otherwise strong claim can be thrown out before it ever reaches a courtroom.”

The rule applies to falls caused by snow or ice on most private property — parking lots, condominium walkways, store entrances and commercial plazas. The written notice must identify when, where and how the injury happened, and must reach both the occupier and any contractor responsible for clearing the area. Falls on municipal property remain subject to a separate, even shorter 10-day notice period.

Winter is the firm's busiest season for these cases. Slip-and-fall injuries across the GTA climb sharply from November through March, and the harm is often serious — broken wrists and hips, head injuries and spinal trauma that can keep people off work for months. Many victims, Kanevsky notes, never realize the fall was someone else's legal responsibility.

“A fall on ice isn't just bad luck. If a property owner failed to salt, sand or clear a walkway in a reasonable time, they may be liable for your injuries,” she said. “But proving it depends on evidence that disappears fast — the ice melts, the lot gets plowed, camera footage is overwritten. The sooner we're involved, the better we can protect a claim.”

The firm is encouraging anyone injured this winter to take a few simple steps right away: photograph the ice or snow and the surrounding area, note the exact time and location, ask any witnesses for their contact details, report the fall to the property owner in writing, and seek medical attention the same day. Keeping receipts and a record of missed work also helps establish the full value of a claim.

Kanevsky Law handles slip-and-fall cases on a contingency basis — clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers compensation — and offers free consultations around the clock in English, Russian and Ukrainian from its North York office. Its team of slip and fall lawyer Toronto specialists has recovered more than $50 million for injured clients across the region.

Anyone injured in a winter fall can reach Kanevsky Law any time at (416) 252-9937 for a free, confidential case review.

About Kanevsky Law

Kanevsky Law is a Toronto-based personal injury firm serving accident victims across the Greater Toronto Area, including Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham and Scarborough. Founded by Olga Kanevsky (LL.B, LL.M, Osgoode Hall), the firm has more than 20 years of experience and has recovered over $50 million for clients in slip and fall, car accident, workplace injury, brain injury and medical malpractice cases. Every file is handled personally by a senior lawyer on a no-win, no-fee basis.