Application for catastrophic impairment dismissed; SPECT scan found not to be a medically recognized brain diagnostic technology.
The applicant sought a determination that he sustained a catastrophic impairment under criterion 4 of the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule following a motor vehicle accident.
The applicant relied on a SPECT scan to demonstrate a traumatic brain injury.
The Tribunal found that a SPECT scan is not a medically recognized brain diagnostic technology, as it is not sufficiently reliable to identify a traumatic brain injury resulting from an accident.
Furthermore, the Tribunal preferred the respondent's radiological evidence, which concluded that the SPECT scan findings were nonspecific and could be explained by other etiologies, such as pre-existing psychological conditions or prior head traumas.
The application was dismissed, and no award for unreasonable delay was granted.
OLATOntario Licence Appeal TribunalJan 6, 2026
