A person injured in a fall at a store, apartment building, parking lot, restaurant, private home or other property may have a claim, but compensation is not automatic. Ontario’s Occupiers’ Liability Act generally requires an occupier to take reasonable care to keep people reasonably safe in the circumstances.
An occupier may be a person or company with physical possession of the property or responsibility and control over its condition and activities. Depending on the location, there may be more than one occupier, such as an owner, tenant, property manager or maintenance contractor.
Spills may be cleaned, snow removed, lighting repaired and video overwritten. Report the fall promptly and ask that incident reports and video be preserved. Photograph the exact hazard and surrounding area, including warning signs or the absence of them.
Seek medical care and describe how the fall occurred. Keep records of diagnosis, treatment, missed work, transportation, medication and assistance required at home. These documents help connect the incident to the injury and show its practical impact.
Yes. If an injured person failed to take reasonable care, damages may be reduced for contributory negligence. Footwear, visibility, distractions, warnings and the nature of the hazard can all become relevant, but no single factor decides every case.
Ontario has special notice rules for some snow-and-ice and municipal claims. Those notice periods can be much shorter than the general limitation period, so legal advice should be obtained promptly.
See Krylaw’s Personal Injury FAQs for more slip-and-fall questions.
Ontario Occupiers’ Liability Act
This article provides general legal information as of September 2026 and is not legal advice. Liability and deadlines depend on the property, hazard and evidence.
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