Thomas Gold Pettingill LLP is pleased to provide this online resource to our clients. Below is a searchable database of the publicly released decisions from the Licence Appeal Tribunal. Assembled by the accident benefits group, the decisions are reviewed, briefly summarized, and categorized for easy access.
As of March 2020, we will not include any further decisions focused solely on the Minor Injury Guideline or treatment plans, unless the case may have broader applicability.
The claimant sought entitlement to various medical benefits. Adjudicator Theoharis accepted that the proposed treatment plans provided pain relief to the claimant, which allowed him to engage in his daily activities. She concluded that the medical benefits were reasonable and necessary.
The claimant sought entitlement to non-earner benefits. The insurer resisted the claim on two grounds: (i) the claim was limitations barred, and (ii) a claim for income replacement benefits precluded a non-earner benefits claim. Adjudicator Hines noted that the claimant received income replacement benefits which were ultimately stopped in August of 2014 due to her...
The claimant sought IRBs and removal from the MIG. Adjudicator Theoharis rejected the claimant's case. She held that the claimant did not suffer impairments that would entitle her to IRBs or removal from the MIG. In particular, Adjudicator Theoharis relied upon surveillance showing the claimant engaging in multiple activities she said she could not do....
The claimant left the country prior to a scheduled hearing and had failed to communicate with her counsel. The hearing was adjourned to a later date. The insurer was awarded costs of $700 by Adjudicator Bickley, who concluded that the claimant's actions had caused unnecessary expense and delay.
The claimant was involved in two accidents and sustained a heart attack months after the second accident. A treatment plan for assistive devices was denied by the insurer with the assistance of a GP IE report. The insurer objected to the inclusion of documents not disclosed 10 days before the service and filing of written...
The claimant sought entitlement to social rehabilitation counseling services. The insurer denied the claim asserting (i) the limitations period barred the claim and (ii) the claim was already adjudicated at FSCO under a different date of loss. Adjudicator Sewrattan cited section 23 of the Statutory Powers and Procedures Act in precluding a party from proceeding...
The claimant left the country prior to a scheduled hearing and had failed to communicate with her counsel. The hearing was adjourned to a later date. The insurer was awarded costs of $700 by Adjudicator Bickley, who concluded that the claimant's actions had caused unnecessary expense and delay.
The insurer sought an adjournment of an oral hearing because two of its witnesses would be out of the country; the claimant's counsel consented to the adjournment. Nevertheless, Adjudicator Trojek rejected the request for an adjournment, reasoning that the request was not timely. The insurer made the request only 23 days before the hearing and...
The claimant, an articling student, sought entitlement to income replacement benefits and one psychological assessment plan. The claimant led a letter as evidence which was by the firm wishing him success in his future endeavours; it did not state that he was terminated. Adjudicator Truong found that the claimant was not terminated due to injury...
The claimant was involved in two accident and sought two years of attendant care benefits. She submitted a Form 1 fifteen months after the second accident. She had also submitted a Form 1 for her first accident in which she claimed similar needs. Adjudicator Shapiro rejected the entire claim for attendant care benefits. First, he...
The parties were able to resolve the dispute during the Case Conference. The claimant sought costs and a special award. Adjudicator Makos denied both claims. He wrote that the insurer's delay in payment of the disputed benefits was not unreasonable in light of the lack of medical information provided by the claimant prior to the...
The claimant was a fetus at the time of the accident. The mother was 6 months pregnant at the time. After the MVA, the mother gave birth 2 months premature. 3 weeks after birth the claimant was discharged from the hospital; however, following the discharge she experienced difficulty swallowing and encountered choking episodes. As a...
The claimant sought entitlement to medical treatment plans. The claimant asserted a chronic pain diagnosis to justify the treatment plans. The insurer asserted that the chronic pain diagnosis was as a result of a pre-existing injury and not the MVA. Adjudicator Derek Grant ruled that although "but for" is the default test for causation, "material...
The claimant sought entitlement to ongoing IRBs. Adjudicator Sewrattan applied a three-part test: (1) Was the claimant employed at the time of the accident, (2) Causation; did the claimant sustain an impairment preventing him/her from returning to work, and (3) Does the claimant suffer a substantial inability to perform the essential tasks of his/her employment,...
The claimant sought entitlement to ongoing IRBs. Adjudicator Sewrattan applied a three-part test: (1) Was the claimant employed at the time of the accident, (2) Causation; did the claimant sustain an impairment preventing him/her from returning to work, and (3) Does the claimant suffer a substantial inability to perform the essential tasks of his/her employment,...
The claimant sought to combine the hearing of his case with the hearing of another applicant's claim, as both claims arose from the same accident. The insurer opposed combining the files. Adjudicator Trojek denied the request to combine the hearings, reasoning that the claims dealt with two different claims by two difference people. Each claim...
The accident involved two people, each with claims. The insurer requested that the matter be combined. The claimants did not consent. The two hearings shared only one common witness. Vice Chair Trojek denied the request for the combination of hearings. Under Rule 20.5 Vice Chair Trojek did not find any value in terms of "fairness,...
The claimant sought removal from the MIG and entitlement to a series of treatment plans. Adjudicator Flude concluded that the applicant had suffered a predominantly minor injury. A post-accident MRI identified degenerative changes and nerve root compression. The applicant argued that the condition was pre-existing and entitled him to removal from the MIG. Adjudicator Flude...
The LAT was asked to consider the effect of a WSIAT decision finding that the applicant could pursue a claim under the WSIA. The applicant filed at LAT and argued that the insurer had to pay benefits notwithstanding the WSIAT decision, arguing that he had made an election to receive accident benefits. Adjudicator Grant held...
This was a reconsideration request by the insurer following a decision that the claimant sustained psychological injuries that fell outside of the MIG. Executive Chair Lamoureux held that the adjudicator had weighed all of the evidence and made clear findings. There was therefore no basis to overturn the initial decision.