austlii:nsw/NSWPICMP/2025/202
General information, not legal advice.
NSWPICMP
2025-03-26
Original judgment source is linked above.
Insurance Australia Limited t/as NRMA Insurance v Le [2025] NSWPICMP 202
MOTOR ACCIDENTS - Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017; medical assessment of a threshold injury under ; claimant claimed he sustained psychological injuries in a motor accident on 7 October 2018; Medical Assessor (MA) determined that the claimant suffered a generalised anxiety disorder caused by the motor accident and was a non-minor (now non-threshold) injury for the purposes of the Act; review sought by the insurer under ; consideration and application of and the Motor Accident Guidelines; - the claimant did not suffer any recognised psychiatric disorder caused by the motor accident on 7 October 2018; the Medical Assessment Certificate dated 12 December 2022 was revoked.
Issued under s 7.23(1) of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017
A statement setting out the Review Panel's reasons for the assessment is attached to this certificate.
decision-maker. A 'new decision maker' is defined in cl 14A(1) of Schedule 1 of the PIC Act. As the medical assessment, the subject of the review, was made on or after 1 March 2021, the new review provisions apply. 4. The new review provisions provide that a review panel consists of two Medical Assessors and a Member assigned to the Motor Accidents Division of the Commission: s 7.26(5A) of the MAI Act. Accordingly, the President's delegate has convened this Panel to conduct the review of the Medical Assessment. 5. Part 5 of the PIC Act enables the Commission to make rules with respect to the practice and procedure before the Commission including proceedings before a panel reviewing a decision of a Medical Assessor: s 41(2) of the PIC Act. 6. The Review of the Medical Assessment is not limited to a review of only that aspect of the assessment that is alleged to be incorrect. The Review is by way of a new assessment of all matters with which the medical assessment is concerned: s 7.26(6) of the MAI Act. However, s 7.25 of the MAI Act provides that the review of a medical assessment can be made on the basis of any agreement by the parties as to the degree of permanent impairment from a particular injury and whether a particular injury was caused by the accident, without those matters having to be the subject of assessment. 7. Rules 127 to 130 of the Personal Injury Commission Rules 2021 (PIC Rules) are made pursuant to Part 5 of the PIC Act. A review panel determines how it conducts and determines the proceedings and may determine the proceedings solely based on the written application: Rule 128 of the PIC Rules. 8. On 23 November 2023, the Panel directed the parties to lodge with the Commission an indexed and paginated final bundle of documents on which they relied in the Review. 9. On 11 March 2024, the Panel met and issued directions to Mr Le or, in the alternative, the insurer, to produce certain records by 24 April 2024. 10. On 15 May 2024, the Panel met and considered the further documentation produced by the parties and informed the parties that it considered a re-examination of Mr Le was required. Arrangements were made for Mr Le to be re-examined by Medical Assessor Doron Samuell and Medical Assessor Gerald Chew by video link (MS Teams) on 28 June 2024.
5.3 The assessment will determine whether the injury related to the claim is a soft tissue injury or a threshold psychological or psychiatric injury caused by the motor accident.
5.4 Insurers should not require injured persons to undergo diagnostic imaging for the purpose of the insurer determining whether the injury related to the claim is a threshold injury. Diagnostic imaging is not considered necessary to assess threshold injury.
5.5 A diagnosis for the purpose of a threshold injury decision must be based on a clinical assessment by a medical practitioner or other suitably qualified person independent from the insurer.
5.6 The assessment of whether an injury caused by the accident is a threshold injury for the purposes of the Act should be based on the evidence available and include all relevant findings derived from:
(a) a comprehensive accurate history, including pre-accident history and pre-existing conditions
(b) a review of all relevant records available at the assessment
(c) a comprehensive description of the injured person's current symptoms
(d) a careful and thorough physical and/or psychological examination
(e) diagnostic tests available at the assessment. Imaging findings that are used to support the assessment should correspond with symptoms and findings on examination."
"Threshold psychological or psychiatric injury assessment
5.10 In assessing whether an injury is a threshold psychological or psychiatric injury, an assessment of whether a psychiatric illness is present is essential.
5.11 The assessment of whether a psychiatric illness is present must be made using the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association.
5.12 Where the symptoms associated with the injured person's psychological or psychiatric injury do not meet the assessment criteria for a recognised psychiatric illness, with the exception of acute stress disorder and adjustment disorder, the injury will be considered a threshold injury."
"The question of causation of injuries was not dealt with in Part 5 of the Guidelines but causation was addressed in Part 6, which related to assessment of permanent impairment. There is no reason to think that different principles were intended to be applied when a medical assessment was being made in relation to causation of minor injuries."
"6.6 Causation is defined in the Glossary at page 316 of the AMA4 Guides as follows:
'Causation means that a physical, chemical or biologic factor contributed to the occurrence of a medical condition. To decide that a factor alleged to have caused or contributed to the occurrence or worsening of a medical condition has, in fact, done so, it is necessary to verify both of the following:
This, therefore, involves a medical decision and a non-medical informed judgement."
"There is no simple common test of causation that is applicable to all cases, but the accepted approach involves determining whether the injury (and the associated impairment) was caused or materially contributed to by the motor accident. The motor accident does not have to be a sole cause as long as it is a contributing cause, which is more than negligible. Considering the question 'Would this injury (or impairment) have occurred if not for the accident?' may be useful in some cases, although this is not a definitive test and may be inapplicable in circumstances where there are multiple contributing causes."
(a) the insurer's indexed and paginated initial bundle of documents lodged on the Commission's portal on 15 December 2023 (insurer's documents 1);
(b) the insurer's indexed and paginated additional bundle of documents lodged on the Commission's portal on 23 February 2024 (insurer's documents 2);
(c) Mr Le's indexed and paginated bundle of documents lodged on the Commission's portal on 5 March 2024 (claimant's documents);
(d) the insurer's additional documents being the Injury Care Limited clinical records - part 1 lodged on the Commission's portal on 30 April 2024 (Injury Care records - part 1);
(e) the insurer's additional documents being the Injury Care Limited clinical records - part 2 lodged on the Commission's portal on 30 April 2024 (Injury Care records - part 2), and
(f) the insurer's additional documents being the Centre for Wellbeing clinical records lodged on the Commission's portal on 30 April 2024 (Wellbeing records).
"Mr Le stated that he does not remember anything about the accident. He woke up in hospital wearing a neck brace. He stated that he was a passenger in a vehicle according to the police report and recalled seeing flashing lights, vivid dreams and a person in the car who ran away. He stated that he could not remember what had happened.
The documents note that Mr Le was a passenger in a motor vehicle accident in a car which was travelling at a speed of 100kph when it collided with a tree."[3]
"According to documents, Mr Le was brought to St Vincent's Hospital by ambulance with a fluctuating level of consciousness with agitation. He was noted to have seizure-like activity. His injuries included haematoma to the face, behind his left ear and seat belt abrasion. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and was commenced on antiepileptic medication. Urinary drug screen was positive for benzodiazepines, cocaine and amphetamines. The neurologist's opinion was that Mr Le had suffered a seizure in the context of drug use and head trauma and that he is unlikely to have a seizure disorder. He was discharged from hospital on 12 October 2018 five days after the accident.
Mr Le stated that over the last two years he has become anxious all the time. His sleep has been disrupted with an erratic pattern. He experiences panic attacks and feels scared up to 10 to 15 times a day with a feeling that something bad is going to happen. He worries about having a car accident or being hit by a car. He also worries that someone is going to hit him or break into his home. His panic attacks are characterised by palpitations, tachycardia and shortness of breath. He experiences anxiety with strangers and avoids going out. Public transport makes him anxious, so he drives everywhere. He has become socially avoidant and has less social contacts. He felt better during the COVID-19 lockdown. He avoids crowds and he hates shopping centres and restaurants. He only enjoys going fishing alone. He is able to drive his car. His appetite is variable. He has suffered some weight loss but has forced himself to eat and he is regaining his weight. He has noticed a decline in his concentration and has deferred doing his master's degree. He stated that his work is manageable in small segments. He has felt depressed at times and feels as if he is being punished. He denied any thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation.
He has not sought help about his symptoms because he does not want to speak to anyone. He stated that he spoke to his general practitioner once or twice but did not find it helpful. He did see a psychologist during 2020 prior to the COVID-19 lockdown for several sessions. However, he stated that he could not remember why he was seeing a psychologist. He has not been prescribed any medications.
In terms of physical symptoms, he stated that his whole body feels sore, that he has pain in his leg and back and that his joints and muscles ache all over. He stated that he cannot sit for long or cannot lie down for long. He stated that his doctor said that there were no obvious injuries, and he has not had any treatment and takes occasional Panadol. He is unable to exercise because he finds it too painful.
He lost his memory for about two months and has suffered from poor memory since the accident. He recalled that he could not walk properly, and he could not think properly following the accident. He stated that he had to learn to walk. He was unsure how long he was in hospital for and guessed that he may have been hospitalised for one to two weeks. He stated, 'I don't remember'. 'I remember I couldn't walk'. He also was unable to remember what injuries he had suffered if any. He thought that he attended physiotherapy.
He was unable to work for one or two years and was unemployed. He stated that it was all 'a blank.'"[4]
"Mr Le presented as neatly casually dressed and well groomed. He was anxious and visibly tense. He was a vague historian due to his impaired memory. There was no evidence of pervasive depressed mood. His affect was restricted with occasional reactivity. There was no formal thought disorder. There was no evidence of psychotic symptoms. He denied thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Brief cognitive testing was performed. Although the date was 7 September 2022, he thought the date was 5 September 2022. He named the correct season. He was asked to recall three items and was only able to recall two out of three items. He made five errors while attempting serial 7's. Mr Le stated, 'I think my entire life has changed.'"[5]
"Mr Le reported difficulty sitting or lying down for too long due to musculoskeletal pain he experiences all over his body. Due to his anxiety, he has become socially withdrawn and he rarely goes out. He stated that he has nothing to do and sits at home. He no longer engages in sports due to physical pain. His concentration is very poor, and he is unable to read more than one or two pages at a time and is unable to retain information. He finds following movies difficult as he is easily distracted. He was able to obtain work in 2021 for an information technology organisation and has worked full time for the last two years."[6]
"I was a back seat passenger in ... (vehicle 1) travelling along York Street in Sydney in the third lane (closest to the kerb) of three lanes. All of a sudden the vehicle I was travelling in rear ended a motor vehicle (vehicle 2) which was travelling in the middle lane. The impact caused vehicle 2 to lose control, swerve and hit into vehicle 1 and hit into a tree."[8]
"About 3:20am on Sunday, 7 October 2018 VEH 2 was travelling southbound in lane 4 of 5 on York St, Sydney, When VEH 2 was passing the intersection of York St and. Jamison St, VEH 1 which was also travelling southbound on York St, behind VEH 2, collided with the rear of VEH 2 and then mounted the western sidewalk of York St and collided with a tree approximately 10 metres south of Jamison St. As a result of the collision, the vehicles received the above listed damaged [sic]. It is currently unclear how the front of VEH 2 was damaged. DRIVER 1 and another passenger fled from the-scene, running westbound on Jamison St. One passenger remained in the vehicle. The collision was witnessed by WIT 1 and WIT 2. WIT 1, who was concerned for the welfare of the passenger, broke the front passenger side window of VEH 1 which the passenger climbed out of. Both vehicles were then towed from the scene."[11]
Transcript of interview with Constable Thomas Giblin
"C/T 29 YOM HIGH SPEED MVA POLICE STATE BASED ON DAMAGE POSSIBLY TRAVELING 1OO+KM/HR. O/A 3X POLICE OFFICERS HOLDING PT PRONE TO GROUND. PT HIGHLY AGITATED, UNCOOPERATIVE, FOAMING AT MOUTH? DRUG EFFECTED? ETOH. PT? EITHER DRIVER OR BACK SEAT PASSENGER OF VEHICLE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. DIFFICULTY WITH INITIAL ASSESSMENT DUE TO PT POSITONING AND AGITATION. PT GIVEN 10MG DROPERIDOL WITH GOOD EFFECT. INITIAL OBS - GCS 12 E4V3M5, TACHYCARDIC, TACHYPNOEIC, HYPOTENSIVE, FEBRILE. POST DROPERIDOL PT GCS 3. H2T - HAEMATOMA AND BLEEDING TO R) FOREHEAD, SEATBELT TRAUMA/BRUISING, BATTLE SIGNS PRESENT, EPISTAXIS. PEARL 3MM, CHEST SOUNDS CLEAR L=R, ABDOMEN SOFT
NON-TENDER, PELVIS INTACT, LONG BONES INTACT. EN ROUTE TO SVH PT PROCEDED TO HAVE SEIZURE LIKE ACTIVITY. RX IVC, PELVIC SPLINTING, 10MG DROPERIDOL, 1MG MIDAZOLAM, 5OOML HARTMANNS. TX TO SVH FOR FURTHER MANAGEMENT."
"On 7 October 2018, Duc Thuong was in a serious motor vehicle accident. The car was travelling at 100 km per hour and collided with a tree. Duc Thuong states that he was a rear seat passenger although whether he was the driver or the passenger is not mentioned in the ambulance report. The ambulance report does state that when they arrived Duc Thuong was already being held prone to the ground by three police officers and was in a highly agitated, uncooperative state with foaming at the mouth. There was apparently some possible generalised seizure activity at the scene and he was treated with droperidol and became very drowsy afterwards with his level of consciousness going from GCS 12 to 3 en route. He was brought to St Vincent's Emergency Department where, owing to a low level of consciousness, he was intubated for airway protection. He was managed in Intensive Care and early in the intensive care phase, again some generalised convulsive activity was observed, which was interpreted as a probable seizure. He was admitted under the Trauma Team and fortunately, extensive imaging showed no evidence of craniospinal injury, fractures or organ injury. He did sustain significant abrasions to his face and chest and soft tissue injuries particularly to his right shoulder and lower back. CT brain showed no structural parenchymal lesion and there was no arterial injury in the CT angiography head and neck. Subsequent brain MRI was also normal.
Duc Thuong was treated with IV Keppra as a precaution in light of suspected seizure activity. This was continued for the first 72 hours and then discontinued. No further seizure activity was observed. Duc Thuong was extubated on 9 October 2018, and transferred to the ward where neurology input was sought. I met him at that time. Duc Thuong has no recollection of the accident and his first clear recollection is waking up in Intensive Care around 9 October 2018. Indeed, he has features of retrograde amnesia in that he cannot recall any events clearly in the weeks leading up the accident either."[28]
"Duc Thuong suffered probable seizures in the setting of a motor vehicle accident where he likely sustained some degree of closed head injury with traumatic brain injury and amnesia but also was under the effects of stimulant drugs including cocaine and amphetamines detected in his urine. As such, the seizures were provoked by several factors and there is no clear evidence of him having unprovoked seizures or an underlying epilepsy syndrome. It is still not entirely clear whether he was a driver or a passenger in the accident. This information may be obtainable from the police report which was not part of his medical record. Applying the standard RMS guidelines to his case, he must refrain from driving for a minimum of six months following first seizure and if he remains seizure-free during this period, he would be fit to resume driving. He is also advised to notify the RMS of his seizures and the attendant medical advice and I am providing him a copy of this letter to assist in that conversation.
Duc Thuong's ongoing reported impairments in memory, concentration and headaches are consistent with a postconcussion syndrome and he will require continued supervision and support, ideally through outpatient traumatic brain injury service and I am therefore referring Duc Thuong to Dr Stuart Browne, Consultant Rehabilitation Physician. This letter serves as a formal referral. It is extremely important the Duc Thuong refrain from recreational drug use in the future including in particular cocaine and amphetamines as this may have had a contributory role both to his seizures and the accident."[29]
"Mr Le has been dealing with his injuries and CTP claim for a prolonged period of time without treatment. Mr Le suffers from amnesia from the MVA and is unable to recall details and events surrounding the MVA and an approximate period of 2 to 3 months prior. This can be very distressing for Mr Le at times. He also experienced nightmares and sleep disturbance. Mr Le is highly motivated towards managing the psychological symptoms and distress that he has been facing over the years. Mr Le advised that he thought he could bottle up or ignore his symptoms and that they would go away on their own, however he has found that he is unable to cope on his own and is finding it difficult to express himself to his partner or friends.
Mr Le would benefit from structured psychological intervention to address his symptoms and assist him with thought and mood management strategies, as well as management of his anxiety, rumination and panic attacks."[35]
Senior Medical Assessor Ian Cameron - 28 August 2022
[1] Briggs v IAG Limited Trading as NRMA Insurance [2022] NSWSC 372 at [35].
[3] Insurer's documents at page 14 at [9].
[4] Insurer's documents at pages 14-15 at [10].
[5] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 15-16 at [14].
[6] Insurer's documents 1 at page 16 at [15].
[10] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 253-259.
[11] Insurer's documents 1 at page 258.
[12] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 260-277.
[13] Insurer's documents 1 at page 262 at A28.
[14] Insurer's documents 1 at page 265 at A51.
[15] Insurer's documents 1 at page 267 at A71.
[16] Insurer's documents 1 at page 267 at A71.
[17] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 117-122.
[18] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 123-218.
[19] Insurer's documents 1 at page 129.
[20] Insurer's documents 1 at page 209.
[21] Injury Care records - part 1 at page 4.
[22] Claimant's documents at pages 7-11.
[24] Injury Care records - part 1 at page 5.
[25] Claimant's documents at pages 36-37.
[26] Injury Care records - part 1 at page 52.
[27] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 219-221.
[28] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 219-220.
[29] Insurer's documents 1 at page 220.
[30] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 222-223.
[31] Insurer's documents 1 at pages 239-248.
[32] Insurer's documents 2 at pages 58-59.
[33] Insurer's documents 2 at page 60-61.
[34] Insurer's documents 2 at pages 46-50.
[42] Claimant's documents at pages 311-316.
[43] Claimant's documents at pages 324-361.
[44] Insurer's documents at pages 23-30.
[45] Insurer's documents at pages 2-11.
[46] Document A1 in the Commission's portal.
[47] Insurance Australia Group Ltd v Keen [2021] NSWCA 287 at [40], [41] and [45].
[48] Insurance Australia Ltd v Marsh [2022] NSWCA 31 at [11], [21], [64].
Insurance Australia Limited t/as NRMA Insurance
Le [2025] NSWPICMP 202