72Assessment of permanent impairment

72 Assessment of permanent impairment (2) The level of permanent impairment for the purposes of section 71 shall be assessed in the first instance by a medical practitioner. (3) Where a person is aggrieved by the assessment of the level of permanent impairment by a medical practitioner, the person may, within 28 days after being notified of the assessment, apply to the Authority for a reassessment of that level. (3A) Subject to subsection (3B), the Authority must, as soon as practicable after receiving an application, refer the application to a panel of 3 medical practitioners to reassess the level of permanent impairment. (3B) The Authority is not required to refer an application to a panel unless satisfied that the assessment was properly conducted and is in accordance with the guides mentioned in the definition of permanent impairment in section 70. (3C) The panel to whom an application is referred: (a) must include at least one medical practitioner appearing to the Authority to have specialist knowledge of the type of impairment in question; and (b) must not include the medical practitioner who originally assessed the level of impairment. (4) An assessment made by a panel under subsection (3A) as to the degree of permanent impairment of a worker: (a) is taken to be the level of permanent impairment suffered by the worker for the purposes of section 71; and (b) is not subject to review. (5) The costs incurred in carrying out an assessment or reassessment under this section shall be paid by the employer.