Dr. Shahira Khoury

The appellant appealed an Arbitrator's decision finding that he was not catastrophically impaired and dismissing his claims for statutory accident benefits.

The appellant argued that the Arbitrator erred in relying on surveillance evidence and the respondent's medical experts rather than his own presentation at the hearing and his family's testimony.

The Director's Delegate dismissed the appeal, finding that the Arbitrator made no errors of law.

The Arbitrator was entitled to weigh the evidence, including surveillance videos showing the appellant engaging in complex activities that contradicted his family's testimony and his presentation to his own medical experts.

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and applied for statutory accident benefits, including income replacement and medical benefits.

The insurer denied the claims, arguing the applicant did not have a legitimate contract of employment and was not substantially disabled.

The arbitrator found that the applicant had a valid employment contract as a van driver/delivery person and that his accident-related injuries substantially disabled him from performing the heavy lifting and repetitive movements required for the job.

The arbitrator awarded income replacement benefits, medical benefits, and the cost of a disability certificate.

Furthermore, the arbitrator ordered the insurer to pay a $15,000 special award, finding that the insurer had unreasonably delayed and withheld benefit payments by failing to properly investigate the employment contract and by ignoring procedural notice requirements.