Burlington, Ont., clinic facing $5M lawsuit after patient contracts hepatitis C from allegedly dirty needle

The exterior of 2951 Walkers Line is seen in this screengrab from Google Maps. The walk-in clinic that Halton Region Public Health said used unsterile needle is located in this building. (Google Maps)

A Burlington, Ont., man is suing a local walk-in clinic for $5 million, claiming that an injection from an allegedly unsterilized needle left him with hepatitis C.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last month, says Darwin Allen was a patient of the Halton Family Health Centre Walk-In Clinic, near Walkers Line and Dundas Street, in Sept. 2023. He was seeking treatment for a cut to his heel and was treated by Dr. Timothy Salter, who is also named in the lawsuit.

A statement of claim viewed by CTV News says that Dr. Salter injected Allen with lidocaine, an anesthetic, using an allegedly unsterilized needle.

In November 2025, Allen received a letter from Halton Region Public Health informing him that they had identified “improper infection prevention and control practices” at the clinic. He was advised to get tested for hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV.

In a news release issued by the regional health authority in September of that year, officials said the prevention and control “lapse” at the clinic occurred between 2019 and 2025. It said at the time that at least 1,000 patients were injected with a local anesthetic from a multidose vial that may have been contaminated by unsterile needles.

After undergoing a blood test, Allen was informed in December 2025 that he had tested positive for hepatitis C.

‘Severe, painful and permanent injuries’

In addition to the hepatitis diagnosis, the lawsuit alleges that Allen sustained “severe, painful and permanent injuries” from the incident, including depression and anxiety, resulting in psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress.

“As a result of the Incident, the Plaintiff has sustained and will continue to suffer loss of income, a reduction in his ability to compete in the labour market, a reduction in his ability to earn an income, and restrictions in the types of employment he will be able to undertake,” the statement of claim notes.

The lawsuit alleges that the clinic and Dr. Salter breached their duty of care to Allen by failing to implement appropriate infection prevention and control measures and failing to ensure needles used in treatment were properly sterilized.

“No patient should walk into a clinic for routine treatment and leave with a life-altering infection,” Allen’s lawyer, Darryl Singer of Diamond and Diamond Lawyers, said in a statement. “This case is about accountability and ensuring proper medical standards are followed.”

Clinic under new management, cuts ties with ‘any party involved’ in incident

CTV News Toronto reached out to the Halton Family Health Centre Walk-In Clinic for a statement on the lawsuit. In an email, a spokesperson explained that WELL Health acquired the clinic in September 2025 and the events detailed in the lawsuit occurred before that acquisition.

“WELL Health has no comment on this matter other than to clarify that the lawsuit is against the former operator of the clinic “Halton Family Health Centre Clinic Inc.” which is unaffiliated with WELL Health,” they said.

In a notice posted to the clinic’s website, it says that “any party involved” in the alleged infection prevention and control lapse is “no longer providing services” at the clinic. It also says that “operational risks have been mitigated” and there are no risks to patients at the clinic related to the advisory.

CTV News Toronto reached out to Dr. Salter for comment, but has not received a response.