Michelle Zare
Paralegal and Founder
Michelle started her career as a paralegal over 20 years ago, and in 2009, she established Zare Paralegal Services. She is passionate about her work, and advocates through a trauma informed lens. She has extensive experience with appeals before the WSIB Appeal Services Division, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) and CPP Disability Appeals before the Social Security Tribunal.
While she represents injured workers across all industries in the Province of Ontario, Michelle has developed a specialty in claims involving psychological injuries, particularly among First Responders. Michelle enjoys taking on the cases that really test the limits of WSIB law and policy and has a number of published decisions in that regard.
In addition to her daily advocacy work, Michelle stays on top of the developments in the ever-evolving world of WSIB jurisprudence. Since 2012, she has co-chaired the annual Workers’ Compensation Program through the Law Society of Ontario and has been a co-chair and speaker at several conferences held by the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Ontario Bar Association. From 2019-2020, Michelle was a part-time Professor in the Paralegal Studies Program at Mohawk College. She continues to be an active member of the Mohawk College Paralegal Program Advisory Committee.
Outside of her work as a Paralegal, Michelle is currently the Law Society appointed member on the Central-West Justice of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the WSIAT Advisory Group, which is a group consisting of major stakeholders in the workplace safety and insurance system. The mandate of the Advisory Group is to act as a consultative resource for the Tribunal, and provide perspectives on a range of issues that rise before the Tribunal.
Michelle also actively supports charitable organizations in her community. She volunteers her time providing workshops to First Responder support groups, educating attendees about the WSIB claims system. In 2023, Michelle raised over $5,000.00 cycling 100km in the Wounded Warriors Ride for Mental Health. She strongly believes in supporting our First Responders.
For Michelle, there is nothing more rewarding than the ability to “right the wrongs” and help her clients regain the rights and dignity they deserve. Never afraid to speak up against injustice, Michelle stands strong for injured workers across Ontario.
Noteworthy Cases
Decision No. 167/23:
A civilian member of a police service made a claim for chronic mental stress arising from daily abuse from irate citizens calling into the Financial Crimes Unit. The Panel allowed the appeal, finding that the worker was exposed to conduct that “a reasonable person would perceive as egregious or abusive”, and it was that abuse that was the cause of her mental stress injury.
Decision No. 221/23:
A machinist suffered an injury to his right hand. He developed a permanent impairment for his injuries, but also developed psychological symptoms in response to the accident. The Vice-Chair accepted that despite the evidence of a pre-existing psychological condition, the workplace injury and sequalae was a significant contributing factor in aggravating that condition.
Decision No. 1363/23:
This case involved 2 separate hearings. A Police Officer made a claim for PostTraumatic Stress Disorder which was denied by the WSIB on the basis that he filed his claim too late. Following the first hearing, the Panel allowed the time limit extension, and in the second hearing, allowed entitlement for PTSD under Policy 15-03-13, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders and Other Designated Workers. Despite the fact that the worker had some personal stressors, his work history remained a significant contributing factor to his PTSD condition.
Decision No. 1780/22:
In this appeal, the worker was a record processing clerk with a police service until he went off work due to psychological symptoms, diagnosed as PTSD. The appeal was allowed by the Panel, for Traumatic Mental Stress. The Panel found that the worker’s exposures in his job was a significant contributing factor to the development of his PTSD. While the Board’s TMS Policy is worded to contemplate first hand exposure for traumatic events in order to give rise to entitlement, the Panel found that this clause must be read in light of the DMS diagnostic criteria. They ruled it is not an absolute requirement in each case that the worker be exposed to the traumatic events through first hand exposure.
More Published Decisions
To read more of Michelle Zare’s published decisions, you can find them here.