Bernie Simpson

After graduating from the University of British Columbia law school, Bernie founded Simpson & Company in 1970, one of the first Vancouver law firms representing victims of car accidents. In 2001, Bernie and Anthony Thomas, another very well-known and distinguished personal injury lawyer in BC, co-founded Simpson, Thomas & Associates.

After establishing himself and settling thousands of ICBC claims; with the emphasis on catastrophic cases including brain injury cases and quadriplegia and paraplegia, in 1991, Bernie was elected to the British Columbia Legislature for the Constituency of Vancouver-Fraserview. During his term as a Provincial Member of the Legislature he set out to ensure the Bike Helmet Legislation, which would be the most progressive in Canada, was enacted into law. In order to ensure that the victims of car accidents have the best possible rehabilitation, Bernie travelled to many parts of the world to setup rehabilitation programs including Korea, India and the United States. He has also been instrumental in pioneering the use of Structured Settlements in British Columbia which guarantees, for those seriously injured, monthly tax free payments for the rest of their lives.

Memberships & Affiliations

• Law Society of British Columbia, Member
• Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, A Founding Member
• Canadian Bar Association, Member, Personal Injury Section
• The B.C. Brain Injury Association, Member
• Spinal Cord Injury of B.C., Member
• Disability Alliance, B.C., Member
• Fraser Valley Brain Institute, Member
• Neil Squire Society, Member
• Past Director, UNICEF
• Former Director of the Canadian Council of Christian and Jews

Former Greenpeace Member

Community Involvement

• Served as Chairman of the Canadian Cancer Society.
• Honoured by the International Red Cross for leading the fight for famine relief for Ethiopia.
• Bernie also supports a number of not for profit organizations with both his time and sponsorships.

Awards

• Credited as one of the first lawyers in British Columbia who pioneered Structured Settlements.
• Ensured the Bike Helmet Legislation, one of the most progressive in Canada at the time, was enacted into law.
• Founding member of the Trial Lawyers’ Association of British Columbia.
• Eloisa DeLorenzo International Award by the International Brain Injury Association, awarded in recognition for Bernie’s role in enacting the Bike Helmet Legislation.
• Order of Canada (1990) award for volunteerism, work for various charitable causes, and for activities in the multi-cultural community, particularly the Indo-Canadian and Chinese communities.
• Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Golden Jubilee Medal and Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada.
• Certificate of Honour, Red Cross Society

Results

Brar v. Abbotsford City (also known as, the “Abbotsford Jaago Wedding case”)

With the leadership of the firm’s senior and founding partners Bernie Simpson and Anthony Thomas, Simpson, Thomas & Associates was called to represent the majority of the Plaintiffs in what is often described as one of the most complex and tragic accidents that British Columbia has seen. In this tragedy, six people died and nineteen others resulted injured on the evening of Aug. 24, 2007 in the city of Abbotsford, as a pickup truck drove into a group of more than 30 people who were involved in a traditional Punjabi pre-wedding procession called “Jaago.” Despite the complex liability issue, Bernie and the team of lawyers at Simpson, Thomas & Associates were able to reach a mediated settlement (no trial) with multiple defendants resulting in millions recovered for victims and surviving family members.