Adam Wagman

Adam Wagman is a partner at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, former Managing Partner, former President of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, and the 2022 Lawyer of the Year in Personal Injury Litigation law, Toronto – as recognized in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory. He is also a Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation by the Law Society of Ontario and, in 2017, was named one of the 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, specifically as a ‘Changemaker’ in the personal injury field.

Called to the Ontario Bar: 1996

Adam’s practice covers motor vehicle accidents, brain injuries, bicycle and pedestrian accident claims, long-term disability, and fatal accident cases. His results include outcomes reaching $3.45 million for a client who sustained severe chronic pain in two motor vehicle accidents, $3.2 million for a construction worker with a brain injury following a motorcycle accident, and $3 million for a pedestrian who sustained a brain injury when struck by an A-Frame sign. He has conducted jury and judge-alone trials, arbitrations, and appeals to the Court of Appeal of Ontario.

Since 2018, the Law Society of Ontario has invited Adam to chair its annual Motor Vehicle Litigation Summit – one of the province’s premier legal education events, drawing over 1,000 lawyers and legal professionals each year. He presides over programming that shapes how Ontario’s personal injury bar approaches motor vehicle accident law, accident benefits, and insurance litigation.

Adam’s educational background in mathematics (BA, University of Western Ontario) and law (LLB, University of Toronto) informs a disciplined, analytical approach to litigation. He does not build cases on assumptions. He builds them from evidence – medical records, expert reports, economic analysis, and a thorough understanding of the law – and pursues the outcome those facts warrant.

As an avid cyclist and runner himself, Adam has a particular passion for cases involving cyclists and pedestrians struck by vehicles. He understands the physics of these collisions, the types of injuries they produce, and the specific legal challenges that arise when vulnerable road users assert their rights against better-resourced defendants.

Leadership Roles at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association

Adam’s leadership record at OTLA is extensive:

• President (2016 – 2017)
• President-Elect (2015 – 2016)
• Board of Directors (2008 – Present)
• Member (1996 – Present)
• 2024 OTLA Distinguished Service Award recipient

Practice Areas

• Motor vehicle accidents lawyer – car, truck, motorcycle, transport
• Bicycle and pedestrian accident claims lawyer
• Brain injury claims – traumatic and acquired lawyer
• Long-term and short-term disability claims lawyer
• Catastrophic injury claims lawyer
• Fatal accidents and wrongful death lawyer
• Insurance disputes lawyer

Notable Results

Past results are not predictive of future outcomes. Each case requires individual legal advice.

• $3.45 Million – Sales agent suffered severe chronic pain following multiple sternal fractures in two motor vehicle accidents
• $3.2 Million – Construction worker sustained brain injury and fractures following motorcycle accident
• $3.0 Million – Pedestrian sustained brain injury after being struck by an A-Frame sign on a windy day
• $2 Million – Fast food owner/chef suffered brain injury after being struck by car
• $600,000 – Retired senior couple suffered mild brain injury and physical impairments
• $557,000 – Kitchen manager suffered mild head injury in car accident

Awards and Recognition

• 2022 Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation, Toronto (annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory)
• 2024 OTLA Distinguished Service Award
• 2017 Canadian Lawyer Magazine Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada – Changemaker in personal injury
• Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation – Law Society of Ontario
• Ontario Brain Injury Association Professional Award (2008)
• Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory – Consistently Recommended in Personal Injury Law
• Lexpert® Ranked Lawyer – 2026
• Listed in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory – Personal Injury Litigation Category
• Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer Hall of Fame

Community and Professional Involvement

• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association – President (2016–17); Board Member (2008–Present)
• Law Society of Ontario Motor Vehicle Litigation Summit – Chair (since 2018)
• Peel Halton Acquired Brain Injury Services (PHABIS) – Board of Directors (1996–2007)
• Brain Injury Society of Toronto (BIST) – Board of Directors, Founding Member (2003–2008)
• Ontario Association of Community Based Boards for Acquired Brain Injury Services – Past President
• Toronto Region Case Management Steering Committee – Member
• FSCO Automobile Insurance Stakeholder Advisory Committee – Member
• FSCO Automobile Legal Advisory Committee – Member
• ADR Chambers Counsel Forum – Member
• Practical Law Canada – Advisory Committee Member
• Bench and Bar Committee, Toronto Region, Ontario Superior Court – Member
• Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA) – Member
• American Association for Justice – Member (1984–Present)
• Guitarist, “SoSumi” – raised money for charitable causes

Professional Memberships

• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (1996 – Present)
• The Advocates’ Society (1996 – Present)
• Canadian Bar Association (1996 – Present)
• Toronto Lawyers Association (1996 – Present)
• Ontario Bar Association (1996 – Present)
• Medical-Legal Society of Toronto (1996 – Present)

Education

• Called to the Ontario Bar: 1996
• LLB – University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (1994)
• BA, Mathematics – University of Western Ontario (1990)