The claimant sought entitlement to pre- and post-104 week IRBs and a special award. Adjudicator Grant awarded IRBs from the date of loss and ongoing, holding that the claimant met both disability tests. The claimant had worked two jobs in the year before the accident. The first was as a sheet metal fabricator. The second was as a purchaser, processing manager, and shop helper. He quit his job two days before the accident according to a psychological report, though the claimant denied that during the hearing and said he was laid off because of downsizing. The claimant attempts to return to one of the jobs after the accident, but stopped after one week and had not returned to work any time before the LAT hearing. Adjudicator Grant accepted the opinions of the claimant’s orthopaedic surgeon and chronic pain expert that the accident related injuries prevented the claimant from engaging in the essential tasks of his pre-accident jobs, and prevented him from working in any similar jobs requiring physical labour. Adjudicator Grant awarded a special award of 10 percent on IRBs because the insurer had not shown any consideration of the claimant’s expert reports in the two years after receiving the reports and the LAT hearing.
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