MacGillivray Law at OTLA Spring Conference 2019_.

This Spring, a team from MacGillivray Law attended the Spring 2019 OTLA Conference in Toronto, learning the newest developments in personal injury law which we use to continually improve our practice.

What is OTLA?

The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (“OTLA”) is a non-profit association for plaintiff lawyers and staff. They provide training opportunities for legal professionals to promote protection for those who have suffered injury and losses.

The conference

Each spring OTLA hosts a conference to educate legal professionals and provide exposure to some innovative ideas in the field. The conference contains a variety of different speakers, organized into various tracks of interest such as motor vehicle accidents and medical malpractice. In addition to the formal presentations and panels, the conference hosts a room full of sponsors who set up booths to promote their services to the attendees. These services range from case management software to rehabilitation services to specialized accountants. The sponsors provide a glimpse into the vast world of businesses that exist to boost efficiency and maximize the compensation that plaintiffs receive.

2019 presentation highlights

One of the first presentations at the Spring 2019 Conference featured a forensic engineer who discussed the use of evidence from Black Box data in motor vehicles. Although every car has a Black Box, not every car’s data can be downloaded and read by someone other than the manufacturer. The speaker provided a helpful chart of vehicles whose data can be downloaded, as well as explained how to interpret the data. Professionals in this field can consult on a case to provide a report of this data when the facts of the accident are contested between the two parties or are unknown.

A subsequent presentation discussed the evolving category of motor vehicles and the potential implications of fitting devices into a legislative definition. Motorized scooter, skateboards, and wheelchairs were all discussed, with an emphasis on potential insurance coverage issues.

The last presentation of the day welcomed Optometrist, Dr. Patrick Quaid, who specializes in vision therapy for concussion patients. His treatment centre, located in Guelph, ON, goes beyond traditional vision testing to get to the root of a multitude of problems that often plague concussion patients.

Why we attend

At MacGillivray Injury and Insurance Law, we are committed to providing the best service possible to our clients. Attending conferences locally and across the country provide us with the opportunity to learn the newest developments in personal injury law which we use to continually improve our practice.