Najma Rashid

Najma Rashid is a partner at Howard Yegendorf & Associates. Her practice is devoted exclusively to personal injury litigation, including motor vehicle accident claims, SABS disputes before the License Appeal Tribunal, and LTD claims. She was a director on the OTLA Board of Directors for 4 years, and was the Chair of the Long-Term Disability Section in 2020/21.

In addition to OTLA, Najma is a member of the Advocates Society, as well as a supporter of organizations such as REACH Canada, Probono Ontario, the Ontario Brain Injury Association and the Canadian Paraplegic Association.

Labonte v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada – Court File No. 15-64830, unreported

Is a Personnel File Relevant? What happens when the Adjuster on the claim no longer works for the Insurance company? Do you have an Executed Discovery Plan on your LTD court actions? These and other questions were addressed in a recent Undertakings and Refusals Motion against Sun Life, raising jurisdictional issues in the context of a Quebec-administered LTD Claim.

But It Was Just An Accident!

How many times have we heard that utterance? An accident happens, someone gets injured or dies, and during legal proceedings the injured person points blame at the “tortfeasor” (the person who caused the accident). But the presence of an injury does not necessarily mean that the tortfeasor was negligent. Yes, oftentimes, accidents are just accidents, if they could have been avoided by ordinary caution by …

What is a Functional Capacity Evaluation?

If you have been injured in a car accident and your accident benefits (auto) insurer has been paying you an Income Replacement Benefit (“IRB”) because you cannot work, the insurer may, from time to time, assess your entitlement to continued IRBs. This includes sending you to one or more assessments conducted by a health professional. One of the assessments that insurers like to do is called a Functional Capacity Evaluation (“FCE”).

What is a Neuropsychologist?

Most people know what a psychologist is. However, most people do not know that, other than an MRI that scans brain structures, one of the most vital instruments to measure the presence, or the extent, of a brain injury, is neuropsychological testing.

The Economic Loss Expert

Calculating economic loss using a calculator and spreadsheet

When you have been injured in an accident, one of the objectives of financial compensation awarded by a judge or jury is to put you, the Plaintiff, in the same financial position you would have been in had your accident not occurred. In this regard, your lawyer may retain an accountant or economist, and sometimes an actuary, to help calculate these financial losses arising out of your accident.

What is an Occupational Therapist?

Occupational therapists provide a guiding hand to recovery

Most people who are injured in an accident instinctively know that they should immediately seek out the closest emergency department or a doctor. If injuries do not require hospitalization, then they are commonly referred to physiotherapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, or another practitioner of physical therapy. Many people do not know that a registered occupational therapist can be exceedingly helpful to their recovery, rehabilitation, and quality …