Personal injury in Ontario: preserve facts and deadlines

What to document after an injury, including treatment, lost income, insurers, witnesses, and limitation questions.

Short answer

After an injury, prioritize medical care and safety, then preserve the incident record, treatment, expenses, income information, witness details, and insurer communications. Limitation periods can depend on the claim and facts, so do not wait for a complete recovery before asking about deadlines.

Educational content only. It is not legal advice and cannot assess your circumstances. Laws, deadlines, forms, and procedures can change; confirm the current position with an official source or qualified professional.

What should you record?

A contemporaneous record can help show what happened and how the injury affected daily life. Keep the tone factual and do not speculate about fault or future recovery.

Date, location, incident description, and witnesses
Medical visits, symptoms, treatment, and restrictions
Receipts, transportation, medication, and care expenses
Employment impact, benefits, and insurer correspondence

What should you say to insurers?

Read requests carefully and ask what information is required. Avoid guessing about prognosis or signing a release without understanding what claims and evidence it covers.

Keep copies of forms and adjuster messages
Ask about the claim number and next deadline
Do not post detailed injury information publicly
Ask about preservation of video, maintenance, or incident records

Common questions

Should I wait until treatment ends to call a lawyer?

No. A consultation can help identify preservation steps and limitation concerns while treatment continues. It does not require a final prognosis.

Can an injury claim be made if I was partly responsible?

Responsibility is fact-specific and may affect analysis rather than automatically ending a claim. Preserve the full record and obtain advice.