Ms. Z. Bukhari

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and sought a determination that she sustained a catastrophic impairment under Criterion 8 (mental or behavioural disorder) of the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule.

The respondent denied the claim, relying on its psychiatric assessor who found only mild to moderate impairments.

The Tribunal preferred the evidence of the applicant's assessors, noting that they appropriately included pain-related impairments and relied on functional occupational therapy assessments which demonstrated the applicant's significant deterioration when challenged by tasks.

The Tribunal concluded the applicant suffered marked impairments in three of four functional domains and declared her catastrophically impaired.