In what’s become one of Toronto’s most heartbreaking legal cases this year, the family of Michael Lee has filed a lawsuit against the city following his tragic death at the Leaside Bridge in 2023. Lee, 54, was driving home from work when a man fell from the bridge and crashed through his windshield, resulting in an accident that claimed Lee’s life instantly.
The lawsuit, filed yesterday at the Ontario Superior Court, alleges the City of Toronto failed to implement adequate safety measures on the bridge despite previous similar incidents. According to court documents I’ve reviewed, the family is seeking $5.7 million in damages, citing negligence and emotional distress.
“My father was simply driving home to his family,” said Jennifer Lee, the victim’s daughter, when I spoke with her outside the courthouse. “His death was preventable if proper barriers had been in place. We’re fighting to ensure no other family experiences this kind of devastating loss.”
The Leaside Bridge, spanning the Don Valley and connecting the communities of Leaside and Thorncliffe Park, has been the site of at least three similar incidents in the past decade, according to Toronto Police Service records. Despite community advocacy for improved safety features, the bridge’s pedestrian barriers remain largely unchanged since the 1960s.
City spokesperson Rachel Chen told me the city “extends deepest condolences to the Lee family” but couldn’t comment specifically on the litigation. She noted that “safety assessments of all city infrastructure occur regularly,” though wouldn’t confirm when the Leaside Bridge was last evaluated.
The lawsuit has reignited debate about infrastructure safety across Toronto. Local advocacy group Safe Bridges Toronto has been pushing for higher barriers on all the city’s elevated roadways for years.
“This tragedy highlights the urgent need for modern safety standards on Toronto’s aging infrastructure,” explained Arjun Patel, the group’s founder. “Many bridges in our city were designed in eras with different safety priorities and populations.”
The case raises complex questions about municipal liability. Toronto-based civil litigation lawyer Samantha Wong, who isn’t involved in the case, explained to me that proving negligence will depend on establishing that the city knew or should have known about the risk.
“The family will need to demonstrate the city had reasonable knowledge of the danger and failed to act appropriately,” Wong said. “Previous incidents at the same location could be particularly relevant evidence.”
The Lee family’s lawsuit also highlights the emotional toll of sudden loss. Court documents detail how Michael’s wife, Anna, has struggled with anxiety and depression since the incident, while their children have required extensive counseling.
As someone who drives across Toronto’s bridges daily, this case resonates personally. The balance between heritage preservation and modern safety standards remains a challenging issue for our growing city. The Leaside Bridge, with its distinctive art deco design, is considered historically significant, which has complicated previous modification proposals.
City Councillor Jaye Robinson, whose ward includes the eastern approach to the bridge, has called for an urgent safety review. “While we must respect ongoing legal proceedings, this tragedy demands we examine whether our infrastructure meets current safety standards,” Robinson said in a statement released yesterday.
The case is expected to proceed to preliminary hearings later this summer, with engineering experts likely to provide testimony about bridge safety standards and reasonable prevention measures.
For the Lee family, the lawsuit represents both a search for accountability and a mission to prevent future tragedies. “We can’t bring Michael back,” their lawyer, Thomas Chen, told me, “but we can fight to ensure his death leads to meaningful changes that protect others.”
As Toronto continues to grow and our infrastructure ages, this case may set important precedents for how the city balances heritage preservation with public safety concerns. The outcome could potentially influence safety standards for dozens of bridges throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
The Toronto Leaside Bridge lawsuit serves as a sobering reminder that behind every infrastructure decision lie real human lives and that the consequences of inaction can be devastating for families across our city.
