Neil E. Sacks is a founding partner at Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP and one of Toronto’s most experienced medical malpractice lawyers, with a practice built over four decades on birth injury law, obstetrical negligence law, brain injury law from hospital error, and spinal cord injury from surgical or diagnostic failure. His outcomes in medical malpractice cases include results reaching $12.5 million, $10 million, $9.5 million, $9 million, and $8 million – outcomes that reflect both the magnitude of the harm his clients suffered and the depth of the preparation and advocacy that achieved them.

Called to the Bar: 1984 (British Columbia) | 1993 (Ontario)

Neil co-founded Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP in 2000. Since 2011, the firm has been recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine among Canada’s top personal injury boutiques. Neil is the lawyer that other Ontario personal injury lawyers turn to when their clients face the most complex and consequential medical negligence files – a measure of peer confidence built through four decades of results, not marketing.

His methodology is consistent: understand the clinical record at the deepest possible level, retain the right medical experts across all relevant disciplines, and build an evidentiary case that clearly establishes the breach of the standard of care, causation, and the full scope of the plaintiff’s long-term losses. In birth injury cases. particularly those involving HIE, cerebral palsy, and obstetrical failures – this means working with neonatologists, obstetricians, neurologists, occupational therapists, and life care planners to construct a case that holds the responsible party fully accountable.

Neil’s approach to representing families in birth injury cases reflects an understanding that these are not merely legal proceedings. They are the defining legal moment in a family’s life, and the outcome will shape whether a child has access to the care, therapy, and support they need for decades to come.

Medical Malpractice Cases Neil Handles

• Medical malpractice lawyer – birth injuries and obstetrical negligence
• Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy lawyer
• Brain injury from hospital or physician error lawyer
• Spinal cord injury from surgical error or misdiagnosis lawyer
• Delayed and missed diagnosis lawyer
• Medication and dosage errors lawyer
• Surgical errors and anaesthesia negligence lawyer
• Long-term and short-term disability claims lawyer

Notable Results

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

• $12.5 Million – Medical negligence resulting in birth injury
• $10 Million – Medical negligence resulting in severe brain injury to a child
• $9.5 Million – Medical negligence resulting in birth injury
• $9 Million – Medical negligence resulting in birth injury
• $8 Million – Medical negligence resulting in birth injury
• $6.5 Million – Medical negligence resulting in birth injury
• $5.6 Million – Child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder struck by a car, suffered head injury
• $3.3 Million – Medical negligence resulting in spinal cord injury

Awards and Recognition

• Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory – Leading Lawyer in Personal Injury Law; Lexpert® Ranked Lawyer 2026
• Listed in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory – Medical Malpractice Category
• Listed in the annual peer-reviewed Canadian legal directory – Personal Injury Category
• Top Personal Injury Law Firms in Canada – Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP (Canadian Lawyer Magazine, annually since 2011)

Thought Leadership

Neil has authored articles and presented papers to a range of legal and professional associations:

• Presented on successful settlement strategies at Osgoode Hall Law School
• Participated in outreach programs to healthcare professionals on hospital and medical insurance
• Presented on emerging health law issues at The Law Society of Upper Canada
• Contributes to the development of medical malpractice practice in Ontario through publications and presentations

Professional Memberships

• American Association for Justice – Member (2007– Present)
• International Network of Boutique Law Firms – Member (2007–Present)
• The Advocates’ Society – Member (2007 – Present)
• Medico-Legal Society of Toronto – Member
• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association – Member

Education

• Called to the Ontario Bar: 1993
• Called to the British Columbia Bar: 1984
• LLB – University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (1983)
• BS – University of British Columbia (1979)

Contact Neil E. Sacks in Toronto

Call: 877-771-7006 | Direct: 416-361-5811

Email: nesacks@hshlawyers.com

Website: hshlawyers.com/team/neil-e-sacks/

Free Consultations · Contingency Fee Basis · Home and Hospital Visits · Multilingual Services

 

FAQ’s

What is hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and can I make a claim in Toronto?

HIE is a type of brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation – most commonly occurring around the time of birth when clinical errors delay or prevent timely delivery. It can result in cerebral palsy, severe developmental delays, or death. A claim arises when HIE was caused or worsened by a failure of hospital or medical staff to meet the required standard of care. Toronto-based claims can be pursued before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

What limitation period applies to birth injury claims in Ontario?

For claims on behalf of children, Ontario’s Limitations Act provides that the two-year limitation period does not begin to run until the child reaches age 18 – meaning most birth injury claims can be commenced up to age 20. However, early legal advice is important to preserve evidence and engage the right medical experts while memories and records are fresh.

What evidence is typically needed in a medical malpractice case?

Medical malpractice cases require a detailed review of hospital records, nursing notes, physician orders, fetal monitoring strips (in birth injury cases), imaging, laboratory results, and other clinical documentation. Expert opinions are required from practitioners in the same specialty as the defendant. Neil works with leading medical experts across all relevant disciplines to build the strongest possible case.

Why are birth injury cases often worth very large amounts?

Birth injuries typically cause permanent, lifelong disability – cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, seizure disorders – that requires decades of specialized care, therapy, medical equipment, and support. Damages in these cases are calculated to cover the full lifetime cost of care, lost earning capacity, and the non-economic losses the child will experience. The combination of these components is why birth injury outcomes are often among the largest in Ontario personal injury law.