About James
"I chose, along with my founding partners, to create a law firm which would be dedicated to providing quality legal service to personal injury victims."Jim’s practice is devoted to litigation, principally in the areas of personal injury litigation, insurance claims and medical malpractice, on behalf of victims.Jim helps clients deal with disasters that have come into their lives. When it comes to making sure that they are properly compensated for their injuries and able to manage the quality of their lives moving forward, Jim takes a hard-nosed approach to his cases. He has tried these cases and appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal, as well as various tribunals, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.Jim has both chaired and lectured frequently for various personal injury programmes put on by a number of legal professional associations, of which he is a member, and has held leadership roles in several prominent lawyer and medical-legal organizations over the years. He has also presented and written for Canadian Defence Lawyers, Lexpert®, Insight and others, and has lectured frequently on auto insurance at Osgoode Hall Law School.Jim has been recognized and qualified as an expert in personal injury law by the Ontario Superior Court. He has been, for many years, continually named to the list of “Best Lawyers in Canada,” “Lexpert® Directory of Legal Experts” and the National Post’s List of Best Lawyers in Canada.Jim founded the St. Michael’s Hospital Head Injury Clinic annual Charity Golf Tournament, and has served numerous times as the tournament’s Chairman. Each year, it raises more than $100,000 to benefit the Clinic. He also served for two years on the non-profit Brain Injury Association of Toronto as a Director.Practice FocusAccident Benefits ClaimsMedical MalpracticeLong-Term and Short-Term Disability Claims Representative CasesOpoku, Sarpong v. Coseco Insurance Co., 49 O.R. (3d) 97 (C.A.) (Ontario Court of Appeal 2000)Meandro and Pilot Insurance Company, FSCO Appeal P-004433 (1997)Alfred and Allstate/State Farm, FSCO Appeal P96-00015 (1997)Cole and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, FSCO A96-000394 (1997)Adabi Ghomi and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and Wellington Insurance Company, FSCO Appeal P96-00065 (1997)Lawyer ReferralsPaul Barrafato, Bartolini, Berlingieri, Barrafato, Fortino, LLPSettlements and Verdicts$11.5 Million – Teen suffered severe head injury, rendered a quadriplegic in crash$10.32 Million – Teen severely injured in a car accident$5.6 Million – Child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), struck by a car and suffered head injury$3.1 Million – Personal trainer suffered catastrophic injuries after being hit by car$2 Million – 15-year-old suffered spinal cord injury jumping in swimming pool$2 Million – Fast food owner/chef suffered brain injury after being struck by car$1.55 Million – 20-year-old passenger sustained brain injury in car accidentClient TestimonialsAllison H.: “We cannot thank you Jim Howie, David Levy, and your dedicated support team for all your hark work to secure Alli a future that will provide…Professional Associations and MembershipsAdvocates’ Society, Former Director, Current Member, 1985 – PresentMedico-Legal Society of Toronto, Council Member, 2000 – PresentAmerican Association for Justice, Current Member, 1984 – PresentThe Toronto Lawyer’s Association, (Past President, 2002), 2002 – PresentBrain Injury Association of Toronto, Former Director, 1992 – 1994Ontario Bar AssociationOntario Trial Lawyers AssociationSpeaking EngagementsBuilding Your Network and Professional Reputation Amongst Your Peers, Ontario Bar Association, November 13, 2013Top 10 Mistakes You Should Not Make in Your First Few Years of Practice, Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, September 25, 2013Why Does My Head Hurt? Acquired Brain Injury Litigation and Medicine, May 1, 2013Qualification of Family Doctor (in Chief / Direct Examination) by Plaintiff Lawyer, Co-presenter, Canadian Defence Lawyers, March 30, 2012Accessing Funding for Medical Rehabilitation, Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP Accident Benefits Seminar, March 29, 2012How an Injury May be Deemed to be Catastrophic, Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, September 27, 2011Recent Trends in Personal Injury, Ontario Trial Lawyers Conference, May 26, 2011Pet Peeves and Problem Areas, Professionally Speaking, Canadian Defence Lawyers 3rd Annual Accident Benefits Joint Plaintiff and Defence Seminar, April, 2011It’s Raining CATS and Dogs, Medico-Legal Society of Toronto, February 22, 2011Insurance Law Update: Changes in Motor Vehicle Law after September 1, 2010, Toronto Lawyers Association Nutshell Program, December 7, 2010Bring Us Your Problem Cases, Canadian Defence Lawyers, November 1, 2010Accident Benefits: How to Win Your AB Case from Start to Finish, Canadian Defence Lawyers, April 15, 2010Lecturer, Insurance Law to Law Students, Osgoode Hall Law School, 2004 – 2009ArticlesMedical Expert Evidence – What’s Old, What’s New, The Lawyers Weekly, Vol. 17, No. 33, 1998Community InvolvementBrain Injury Society of Toronto, Board of DirectorsThe Advocates Society, Board of DirectorsMedico-Legal Society of Toronto, Member of CouncilOut of the Rough Golf Tournament in support of the St. Michael’s Head Injury Clinic, Chair, 2013EducationCalled to the Ontario Bar, 1980LLB, Queen’s University, Faculty of Law, 1978BA (Honors: Deans List) University of Western Ontario, 1975Honors and AwardsCertified as a Specialist in Civil Litigation, by The Law Society of Upper CanadaQualified Expert on Personal Injury Law, Ontario Superior CourtListed in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory as “Consistently Recommended” in Personal Injury law, 1997-2014National Post’s list of best personal injury lawyers in Canada every year since the list’s inceptionAnnual List: The Best Lawyers in Canada, Personal Injury Category, 2007 – 2014
"I chose, along with my founding partners, to create a law firm which would be dedicated to providing quality legal service to personal injury victims."
Jim’s practice is devoted to litigation, principally in the areas of personal injury litigation, insurance claims and medical malpractice, on behalf of victims.
Jim helps clients deal with disasters that have come into their lives. When it comes to making sure that they are properly compensated for their injuries and able to manage the quality of their lives moving forward, Jim takes a hard-nosed approach to his cases. He has tried these cases and appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal, as well as various tribunals, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.
Jim has both chaired and lectured frequently for various personal injury programmes put on by a number of legal professional associations, of which he is a member, and has held leadership roles in several prominent lawyer and medical-legal organizations over the years. He has also presented and written for Canadian Defence Lawyers, Lexpert®, Insight and others, and has lectured frequently on auto insurance at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Jim has been recognized and qualified as an expert in personal injury law by the Ontario Superior Court. He has been, for many years, continually named to the list of “Best Lawyers in Canada,” “Lexpert® Directory of Legal Experts” and the National Post’s List of Best Lawyers in Canada.
Jim founded the St. Michael’s Hospital Head Injury Clinic annual Charity Golf Tournament, and has served numerous times as the tournament’s Chairman. Each year, it raises more than $100,000 to benefit the Clinic. He also served for two years on the non-profit Brain Injury Association of Toronto as a Director.