Dr. A. Daniel Costa

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and sought income replacement benefits and treatment expenses from the insurer.

The insurer had terminated benefits a few months after the accident, arguing the applicant's ongoing symptoms were due to pre-existing conditions.

The arbitrator found the applicant to be an unreliable historian regarding his pre-accident health, relying instead on the clinical notes of his family physician which documented extensive pre-existing chronic pain and depression.

However, the arbitrator accepted that the accident exacerbated the applicant's neck pain and anxiety, causing a substantial inability to perform his pre-accident job as a snowplow operator for a limited period.

The applicant was awarded income replacement benefits until December 1, 1994, but his claim for ongoing benefits and treatment expenses was dismissed.

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and sought ongoing weekly caregiver benefits, as well as costs for medical devices, housekeeping services, and a case manager.

The insurer had terminated caregiver benefits.

The arbitrator found that the applicant suffered a psychological impairment resulting from the accident, including depression and a driving phobia, which caused a partial inability to carry on a normal life.

The arbitrator awarded ongoing caregiver benefits, the costs of a massager and an orthopaedic mattress, and partial housekeeping expenses, but denied the claim for a case manager.