The claimant applied to the LAT for a catastrophic impairment designation and the cost of a private addiction treatment centre. The claimant suffered injuries from an accident that culminated in him being prescribed increasingly higher amounts of morphine to relieve his accident-related back pain. At some point, the claimant’s historic substance abuse issues, which were dormant for many years, had resurfaced and he relapsed. The claimant subsequently turned to illicit drugs to cope with his pain and stress. He was diagnosed with polysubstance abuse disorder, depression and somatic symptom disorder. While the claimant was on a positive trajectory after completing an in-patient drug treatment program, he eventually relapsed while battling cancer and passed away shortly after the LAT hearing . Given that the claimant passed away shortly after the LAT hearing, the question of catastrophic impairment was rendered moot. The sole issue remaining was whether the claimant’s attendance at the private addiction treatment centre was reasonable and necessary. Adjudicator Norris considered whether the accident caused the claimant to experience depression, somatic symptom disorder and to relapse into polysubstance disorder. Adjudicator Norris held that the accident need not be the sole cause of the claimant’s injuries but need only be found to be a factor that materially contributed to the injuries. Adjudicator Norris concluded that the claimant’s polysubstance use disorder was directly caused by the accident, and the in-patient treatment program was an accident-related expense. Even though the addiction treatment received by the claimant could have been covered by OHIP, Adjudicator Norris found that it was reasonable and necessary, as expert evidence revealed that the urgency of the situation required immediate treatment and certain on-site care that an OHIP-funded facility could not provide for.
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