What does a personal injury lawyer in Montréal do?
A Montréal personal injury lawyer helps people who were hurt by someone else's fault work toward compensation, but the job looks different in Quebec than it does elsewhere in Canada. The province runs on civil law, and the biggest split is between car crashes and everything else. Injuries from falls, unsafe premises, and medical care can be litigated, and when one of those files is contested it's heard at the Palais de justice de Montréal, at 1 rue Notre-Dame Est, where the Cour supérieure and the Cour du Québec both sit. Most claims settle long before a courtroom, whether they start in Westmount or out in Dorval.
How does Quebec handle injuries from a car accident?
Bodily injury from a car accident isn't something you sue over in Quebec. The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec pays compensation under a public no-fault plan, so it covers your injuries regardless of who caused the crash, and there's no lawsuit against the at-fault driver for that harm. Property damage is the exception: it's handled separately through private insurers. A lawyer still has a role here. If the SAAQ denies your claim or pays less than you think you're owed, counsel can help you challenge that decision.
How long do you have to bring a claim in Quebec?
For most injury claims the general deadline is three years, set by the Civil Code of Québec at article 2925. The clock usually starts on the day you're injured, though it can start later when the harm surfaces over time. SAAQ compensation runs on its own separate deadlines that begin from the accident, and they're short, so it's worth getting advice in the first weeks. Miss a limitation period and you can lose the right to claim entirely, which is why firms calendar these dates early.
How do you choose a personal injury firm in Montréal?
Start with a firm that has run your specific kind of file, whether that's a serious fall, a liability dispute, or a contested SAAQ dossier. Ask who will actually handle your case day to day, how the firm works in both French and English, and whether it's ready to go to trial rather than only settle. Montréal firms sit across the island, from downtown and Westmount out to the West Island towns of Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Dorval, and Dollard-des-Ormeaux, so there's usually one near you. You can confirm any lawyer's standing with the Barreau du Québec. Browse the personal injury firms in Montréal below.
