Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer

Howie, Sacks and Henry LLP

Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer

When searching for one of the experienced injury lawyers in Toronto, James R. Howie stands in a category of his own. A founding partner of Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP and one of Ontario’s most decorated personal injury litigators, Jim has spent his entire legal career doing one thing: fighting for people whose lives have been turned upside down by serious accidents and negligent care.

Year Called to the Bar: 1980

Jim’s practice is devoted entirely to plaintiff-side litigation – personal injury, insurance claims, and medical malpractice – and his approach is anything but passive. He brings what he describes as a hard-nosed commitment to each file, ensuring that clients are not only properly compensated for their physical injuries but also supported in managing their quality of life long into the future.

Over more than four decades at the bar, Jim has argued before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and numerous administrative tribunals including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. His court record speaks for itself: verdicts and settlements ranging up to $11.5 million for clients who suffered catastrophic, life-altering injuries.

A Leading Voice in Personal Injury Law

Jim’s influence extends well beyond his own caseload. He has chaired and lectured at personal injury programs organized by major legal associations across Ontario, and has held senior leadership roles in several prominent law and medical-legal organizations. He is a Past President of the Toronto Lawyers Association, a Past Director of The Advocates’ Society, and a current Member of Council of the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto. He has also authored and presented for Canadian Defence Lawyers, Lexpert®, Insight and others, and has lectured on auto insurance law at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Ontario courts have formally recognized Jim’s expertise: he has been qualified as an expert in personal injury law by the Ontario Superior Court – a distinction held by very few litigators in the province.

A Trusted Snowbird Accident Lawyer

Jim Howie is among Canada’s foremost authorities on cross-border motor vehicle accident claims. As a trusted member of Cross Border Confidence, he regularly advises Canadian snowbirds injured in motor vehicle accidents while travelling in the United States, navigating the complex intersection of Canadian and American insurance and tort law on their behalf.

Notable Results (Past results are not predictive of future outcomes)

• $11.5 Million – Teen suffered severe head injury and was rendered a quadriplegic in a crash
• $10.32 Million – Teen severely injured in a car accident
• $5.6 Million – Child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder struck by a car, suffered head injury
• $3.1 Million – Personal trainer suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by a vehicle
• $2 Million – Fast food owner/chef sustained brain injury after being hit by a car
• $2 Million – 15-year-old sustained a spinal cord injury in a swimming pool accident
• $1.55 Million – 20-year-old passenger suffered a brain injury in a car accident

Jim Handles Injuries or Deaths Resulting From:

• Car, Truck, and Bus Accidents
• Motorcycle and Cycling Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Accident Benefits Claims (SABS)
• Medical Malpractice
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Claims
• Brain Injury Claims
• Spinal Cord Injury Claims
• Slip and Fall Accidents
• Wrongful Death and Fatal Accident Claims
• Nursing Home Negligence
• Mass Tort and Class Action Litigation
• Product Liability Injuries
• Cross-Border Motor Vehicle Accidents / Snowbird Accidents (U.S.)
• Airplane Accidents
• Institutional Sexual Abuse

Education

• + Called to the Ontario Bar: 1980
• + LLB – Queen’s University, Faculty of Law (1978)
• + BA (Honours, Dean’s List) – University of Western Ontario (1975)

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Cross Border Confidence – Member
• The Advocates’ Society – Former Director, Current Member (1985 – Present)
• Medico-Legal Society of Toronto – Member of Council (2000 – Present)
• American Association for Justice – Current Member (1984 – Present)
• Toronto Lawyers Association – Past President (2002 – Present)
• Brain Injury Association of Toronto – Former Director (1992 – 1994)
• Ontario Bar Association
• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
• Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA)

Awards & Recognitions

• 2018 Plaintiff’s Lawyer of the Year – Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
• Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation – Law Society of Ontario
• Qualified Expert in Personal Injury Law – Ontario Superior Court
• Lexpert® Directory – ‘Most Frequently Recommended’ in Personal Injury Law (2016)
• Lexpert® Directory – ‘Consistently Recommended’ in Personal Injury Law (1997–2015)
• Lexpert® Ranked Lawyer – 2026
• Best Lawyers® in Canada – Personal Injury Category (since 2007)
• National Post – Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Canada (every year since list inception)

Community Involvement

• Founder and former Chair – St. Michael’s Hospital Head Injury Clinic Charity Golf Tournament (raises $100,000+ annually for the Clinic)
• Brain Injury Society of Toronto – Board of Directors
• The Advocates’ Society – Board of Directors

Free Consultation – Contact Jim Howie

If you or a member of your family has suffered a serious injury anywhere in Ontario, Jim Howie and the team at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP are available 24/7 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless your case is successfully resolved.

Call: 877-771-7006  |  Direct: 416-361-3551

Email: jrhowie@hshlawyers.com

Website: hshlawyers.com

Acts on Contingency Fee Basis – No Upfront Payment.

Home, Hospital and Rehab Centre Visits available upon request.