Where can I get help and information?

Community legal clinic

Clinic lawyers and community legal workers give free legal help to people with low incomes. Some legal clinics take workers’ compensation cases. To find the legal clinic that serves your area, visit the Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) website at www.legalaid.on.ca or call:

Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258

Toronto area: 416-979-1446

Toll-free TTY: 1-866-641-8867

Toronto area TTY: 416-598-8867

Office of the Worker Adviser (OWA)

The OWA gives free legal help with workers’
compensation cases for non-unionized workers. If there is an office in your area, it will be listed under “Labour” in the government section of the phone book. If there is no listing for your area, call toll-free 1-800-435-8980 or 416-325-8570 in Toronto, or visit www.owa.gov.on.ca.

Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)

Staff at your MPP’s office may be able to help you. To find out who your MPP is, call toll-free at 1-800-668-2727, or visit the Ontario Legislature website at www.ontla.on.ca.

Union

If you are in a union, call your staff representative. If they cannot help you, ask for the staff person who knows about workers’ compensation law.

Injured workers’ group

Your local injured workers’ group may be able to help you. To find out if there is a group near you, you can email the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups (ONIWG) at oniwgexec@gmail.com, ask your community legal clinic, or visit www.injuredworkersonline.org.

Law Society Directory

If there is no community legal clinic that can help you and you want help finding a lawyer or licensed paralegal who practises workers’ compensation law, you can visit the Law Society website at www.lso.ca and scroll down to “Find a Lawyer/Paralegal“. Click on “More search options” and type “Workplace Safety and Insurance Law“.

Law Society Referral Service

The Law Society Referral Service can give you the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal in your area who can give you a free consultation for up to 30 minutes. Visit their website at lsrs.lso.ca. There is no charge for this referral service.

Ontario Legal Information Centre

The Ontario Legal Information Centre can give you 30 minutes with a lawyer over the phone for free. Call 1-844-343-7462 to speak to a lawyer in English or French. You may have to leave a message and a lawyer will call you back. There is more information on their website at www.centreinfojuridique.ca.

Steps to Justice

CLEO’s Steps to Justice is a website that gives step-by-step information about common legal problems, including workers’ compensation issues. Steps to Justice has practical tools like forms and checklists, and referral information for legal and social services. Visit www.stepstojustice.ca and see the information about being injured at work in the Employment and Work section.