Newmarket Personal Injury Lawyer
Newmarket & York Region · Personal Injury Lawyers
Newmarket Personal Injury Lawyers Who Act Only for Injured People
Newmarket is a busy place to drive, walk and work. Yonge Street, Davis Drive and the Highway 404 interchanges carry commuter traffic all day, and the Upper Canada Mall area and Main Street draw steady pedestrian traffic. When a collision or a fall changes your life here, you need more than a phone number on a billboard. You need a lawyer who will explain, in plain language, what Ontario law actually gives you, what deadlines are already running, and how to protect your claim from the first week onward.
The Kahler Personal Injury Law Firm only represents injured people and their families. We never act for insurance companies. This page explains how injury claims work for Newmarket residents in 2026, including the major auto insurance changes that took effect on July 1, 2026, and how our team can help.
Injured in Newmarket? Talk to a lawyer today, free.
No upfront retainer. No legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. We can meet you by phone, by video, at our office, at your home, or at your hospital bedside.
Why Newmarket Clients Choose the Kahler Personal Injury Law Firm
Newmarket is one of the larger communities in York Region. Statistics Canada counted 87,942 residents in the 2021 Census[1], and the town has grown since. More residents means more traffic, more construction, and more people moving between home, work and school every day. It also means Newmarket residents have a lot of choice when picking a lawyer. Here is what we think matters, and what we offer:
- A lawyer who has done this for an entire career. Brennan Kahler has spent his whole career representing injured people and their families, and has argued cases at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
- Trial readiness. Insurers settle fairly when they believe a case is ready for a jury. Brennan has written and lectured on jury trial preparation for other lawyers, and judges have quoted his articles on trial advocacy in their written decisions.
- Familiarity with the local courthouse. Personal injury lawsuits arising in York Region are commonly issued in the Superior Court of Justice at the Newmarket Courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West[2].
- Financial depth. Serious injury cases need medical experts, accident reconstruction and life-care planning. Our firm funds those costs while the case proceeds.
- Clear fees. We work on a contingency basis using the Law Society of Ontario’s required standard form agreement, so you will know exactly how fees are calculated before you sign anything[3].
Over his career, Brennan has helped clients recover more than $100,000,000 in personal injury compensation.* You can read about specific outcomes on our case results page and recent rulings on our court decisions page.
Where Serious Injuries Happen in Newmarket
Every case is different, but certain patterns come up again and again in a commuter town like Newmarket.
Rear-end and intersection collisions on commuter corridors
Stop-and-go traffic on Yonge Street, Davis Drive and the routes feeding Highway 404 creates conditions for rear-end crashes and left-turn collisions. These crashes are often dismissed as “fender benders,” yet they regularly produce neck and back injuries, concussions and chronic pain that last for years. Ontario’s insurers use the Fault Determination Rules to allocate fault between insurers for property damage, but those rules do not decide your right to sue the other driver for your injuries[4]. That is decided by ordinary negligence law, and it is where an experienced car accident lawyer earns their keep.
Pedestrians and cyclists
Pedestrians remain among the most vulnerable road users in the province. The Ministry of Transportation’s preliminary 2023 road safety data recorded 96 pedestrian deaths in Ontario, about 15.6% of all road fatalities that year[5]. Newmarket’s transit stops, plazas and downtown crossings put people on foot next to heavy traffic. If you were struck while walking or cycling, see our pages on pedestrian accidents and cycling accidents. As explained below, the 2026 reforms make early legal advice especially important for pedestrians and cyclists.
Slip and falls at plazas, parking lots and sidewalks
Ice in a parking lot, a broken step at a rental property or an uneven sidewalk can cause fractures, head injuries and long recoveries, particularly for older adults. Who is responsible depends on who occupies or maintains the property, and Ontario imposes very short notice periods on some of these claims. Learn more about slip and fall claims and parking lot falls.
Catastrophic and life-changing injuries
Some injuries change everything: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and serious burns. These claims require careful proof of future care costs and lost earning capacity, topics Brennan has written about for other lawyers. If a family member died, Ontario’s Family Law Act allows close family to claim for their own losses, including loss of guidance, care and companionship[6]. See our page on wrongful death claims.
What Ontario’s July 1, 2026 Auto Insurance Changes Mean for Newmarket Drivers
Ontario’s no-fault accident benefits system changed significantly this year, and many people injured in a crash after July 1, 2026 will discover the changes only after they need help. Here is the short version.
What stayed mandatory. Standard medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits are still included in every Ontario auto policy[7].
What became optional. Other accident benefits, including income replacement benefits and death and funeral benefits, are now optional coverages that policyholders choose at purchase or renewal[7].
Who the optional benefits cover. This is the change that catches people off guard. Commentators have warned that optional benefits may no longer reach pedestrians, cyclists and certain passengers who would have been covered under policies purchased before July 1, 2026[8].
Who pays first. For medical and rehabilitation expenses other than medication, your auto insurer now pays before workplace or private health plans[7].
Why this matters for a Newmarket commuter: if you lose time from work after a crash and your policy did not include optional income replacement, the lost income may have to be recovered in a lawsuit against the at-fault driver instead. That makes the tort claim, and the evidence gathered in the first weeks, more important than ever.
We review your policy, any workplace disability coverage and the other driver’s insurance at the start, so nothing that is available to you is left on the table. For background, read our explanation of accident benefits versus a car accident lawsuit.
Suing the At-Fault Driver: The Threshold and the 2026 Deductible
A lawsuit against the at-fault driver (called a “tort claim”) can compensate you for pain and suffering, past and future income loss, future care costs and more. Ontario places two hurdles in front of the pain-and-suffering portion of a car accident claim.
- The threshold. Under section 267.5 of the Insurance Act, you must prove a permanent serious disfigurement or a permanent serious impairment of an important physical, mental or psychological function to recover damages for pain and suffering[9]. Medical evidence, family and co-worker evidence and a clear picture of your life before the crash are what win this argument.
- The deductible. For 2026, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has set the statutory deductible at $47,913.01. It is subtracted from pain-and-suffering awards below $159,708.71 and does not apply to awards at or above that amount[10].
Juries are not told about the deductible, which is one reason trial strategy matters so much in Ontario auto cases. Brennan has written about what jurors are and are not told in our article on jury trials.
Deadlines Newmarket Residents Must Know
Missing a deadline can end an otherwise strong claim. These are the most common ones:
| Deadline | What it applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Notify your own auto insurer that you intend to apply for accident benefits | SABS, O. Reg. 34/10, s. 32[11] |
| 30 days | Return the completed accident benefits application after receiving it | SABS, s. 32[11] |
| 10 days | Written notice to a municipality for injuries caused by disrepair of a road or sidewalk | Municipal Act, 2001, s. 44(10)[12] |
| 60 days | Written notice to the occupier or snow contractor for injuries caused by snow or ice on private property | Occupiers’ Liability Act, s. 6.1[13] |
| 2 years | General limitation period to start a lawsuit, usually from the date of the injury | Limitations Act, 2002, s. 4[14] |
Some deadlines can be extended in limited circumstances, but you should never rely on that. If you fell on a sidewalk on Main Street or slipped in a plaza lot, call us the same week.
Meet Your Lawyer: Brennan Kahler
Brennan Kahler, Founder and Principal Lawyer
Brennan is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and has represented injured people for his entire career. He has lectured to lawyers and health care professionals at programs organized by the Law Society, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, The Advocates’ Society, the Atlantic Trial Lawyers Association and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and he speaks to clinicians at hospitals and rehabilitation clinics across Ontario.
His published work covers jury trial preparation and strategy, motor vehicle insurance law, no-fault benefits, recovering future health care costs and recovering damages for injured children. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, The Advocates’ Society and the Ontario Bar Association.
Brennan leads a team that includes lawyers, licensed paralegals, law clerks and legal assistants. You can meet the full team on our lawyers page.
What Happens After You Call
- Free consultation. We listen, ask about the crash or fall, and tell you honestly whether we think you have a claim and what it could involve. There is no cost and no obligation.
- We protect the deadlines. We send the notices that need to go out, open your accident benefits claim if it is not already open, and put the other side’s insurer on notice.
- We get you treatment. Recovery comes first. We help you access rehabilitation and the medical assessments that also document your injuries.
- We build the evidence. Police reports, witness statements, photographs, video, medical records, employment records and, where needed, expert opinions.
- We negotiate from strength. Most cases resolve through negotiation or mediation. When an offer is not fair, we are prepared to take your case to trial.
Curious about timing? Read how long a car accident claim takes, and see how our no win, no fee arrangement works. Our client testimonials describe the experience in clients’ own words.
Speak with a Newmarket injury lawyer before you speak with the insurer.
Adjusters often call within days. A short conversation with us first can protect the value of your claim.
Newmarket Personal Injury FAQs
Do I need a Newmarket office to hire your firm?
No. Our main offices are in Toronto and Barrie, and we act for injured people across Ontario. Most of our Newmarket clients meet with us by phone or video, and we will come to your home or hospital if you cannot travel. Your case is handled by the same team either way.
I was hit while walking in Newmarket after July 1, 2026. Am I still covered?
You still have access to the mandatory medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits. Whether you can claim optional benefits such as income replacement depends on the policies that apply to you, and the 2026 reforms narrowed who is covered. A lawsuit against the driver may be the main route to recover lost income, so get advice early.
The other driver’s insurer offered me a settlement. Should I take it?
Not before getting advice. Early offers are often made before the full extent of an injury is known, and once you sign a release you usually cannot reopen the claim. We will review any offer for free.
How much does it cost to hire you?
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee using the Law Society of Ontario’s standard form agreement, which means our fee is a percentage of what we recover. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
How long do I have to sue for a car accident in Newmarket?
In most cases, two years from the date of the accident under the Limitations Act, 2002. Accident benefits have much shorter notice periods, starting at seven days, so call as soon as you can.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (Newmarket, Town).
- Superior Court of Justice, Court Locations (Newmarket Courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West).
- Law Society of Ontario, Contingency Fee Reforms.
- Government of Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 668: Fault Determination Rules.
- Ministry of Transportation, Preliminary 2023 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report, Selected Statistics.
- Government of Ontario, Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3, s. 61.
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, Ontario Auto Insurance Changes.
- Siskinds LLP, Ontario Auto Insurance Is Changing.
- Government of Ontario, Insurance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.8, s. 267.5.
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, 2026 Automobile Insurance Indexation Amounts.
- Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 34/10: Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule.
- Government of Ontario, Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, s. 44.
- Government of Ontario, Occupiers’ Liability Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.2, s. 6.1.
- Government of Ontario, Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, s. 4.
*Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results, and amounts recovered and other litigation outcomes will vary according to the facts in individual cases. This page provides general information about Ontario law as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Contact us for advice about your specific situation.
