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Claim for costs of and incidental to right rotator cuff repair surgery; accepted injury to right shoulder in 1999; deterioration in pathology; whether need for surgery results from injury; dispute as to nature of pathology shown on radiological investigation; whether psychological condition would prevent surgery from being effective; Held – proposed surgery reasonably necessary as a result of injury; respondent to pay the costs of and incidental to the proposed surgery. 

Section 9AA of the 1987 Act; worker suffered psychological injury in the course of employment as a bus driver on a bus route in Queensland but commenced and finished each shift at the respondent’s bus depot in Tweed Heads; Martin v RJ Hibbens Pty Ltd; Klemke v Grenfell Commodities Pty Ltd and Ferguson v Workcover Queensland discussed; Held – employment connected with New South Wales on the “usually based test. 

Whether assessment based on incorrect criteria; whether demonstrable error on the face of the MAC in relation to assessment of upper extremity; impairment allocation for excision of distal clavicle as amended by the Guidelines; operation of paragraph 2.20 in the Guidelines with adjustment for uninjured contralateral joint; Held - additional material excluded; s 328(3) of 1998 Act; Lukasevic v Coates Hire Operations Pty Limited considered; demonstrable error on the face of the MAC; assessment based on incorrect criteria; Held - MAC revoked.

Worker sustained injury on 27 April 1999; assessment under the Table of Disabilities and of WPI for a threshold assessment; AMS erred in failing to consider whether or not the pain experienced by worker resulted in impairment of her sex life; worker re-examined as insufficient evidence to make a determination; Held - MAC revoked.  

Psychiatric injury; appeal by worker that AMS had erred in making a one-tenth deduction for a pre-existing condition pursuant to section 323 of the 1998 Act; appeal by employer that AMS incorrectly placed the worker in class 3 for employability rather than class 2; Held - no evidence to support a finding that any stressful events prior to the work injury constituted or caused a pre-existing injury or condition; having regard to the history provided by the worker to the AMS and the evidence before the AMS, the assessment was not made on the basis of incorrect criteria; appeal by employer dismissed; MAC revoked. 

Dispute as to whether the applicant’s psychological injury was wholly or predominantly caused by reasonable action taken by the respondent with respect to discipline; section 11A of the 1987 Act; worker allegedly told about a disciplinary meeting, but he understood meeting was arranged discuss grievances; respondent conceded that written notice of meeting not sent to worker; contemporaneous text messages, emails and correspondence substantiated applicant’s evidence; evidence of respondent’s lay witnesses unreliable; medical evidence showed psychological issues prior to meeting; respondent’s doctor relied on incorrect history; Pirie v Franklins Ltd, Department of Education & Training v Sinclair, Irwin v Director-General of School Education, Ivanisevic v Laudet Pty Ltd, St George Leagues Club Ltd v Wretowska, Northern NSW Local Health Network v Heggie, Kushwaha v Queanbeyan City Council and ISS Property Services Pty Ltd v Milovanovic discussed and applied. Held - respondent’s actions not reasonable; worker had no current work capacity and entitled to weekly compensation and medical expenses. 

Claim for weight loss surgery following injury to lower back and significant weight gain post-injury; Moon v Conmah Pty Ltd, Murphy v Allity Management Services Pty Ltd, and Rose v Health Commission (NSW) considered; Held – the proposed weight loss surgery was reasonably necessary treatment as a result of the injury to the lower back. 

Accepted lumbar spine injury and consequential  cardiac condition; worker claims AMS referral also for injury and/or consequential condition to the cervical spine;  Dr Hopcroft opinion held to be speculative as insufficient factual evidence to support conclusions and notable absence of complaint to any clinician concerning neck symptoms or pain until years after worker ceased work; Held - Award for respondent in respect of cervical spine allegation; other body parts remitted to Registrar requesting AMS Referral. 

Worker referred to the AMS for assessment in respect of a psychological injury; appeal issues were the assessment in relation to three PIRS categories; appellant also sought to admit extensive fresh evidence including a further statement from the worker addressing the MAC; all but one piece of evidence rejected; no errors made by the AMS with regard to all PIRS categories; appellant’s submissions merely emphasise what the AMS should have done or considered when making his assessment rather than any clear expression of error; the AMS provided strong reasons for his assessment of each class of the PIRS in the MAC; Held - MAC confirmed. 

Psychological injury; appeal from assessment of psychiatric impairment; whether error demonstrated in respect of PIRS categories of self-care and personal hygiene, travel and employability; Held – no error demonstrated; MAC confirmed.