How does the Injury Benefit team ascertain whether an absence is caused by a pre-existing condition or an accident/incident has caused an aggravation of such a condition?
A. In cases such as these we request all relevant medical evidence from the employee and the employer. We ask for a 5 year absence record to find out if the employee has been absent due to a similar condition or injury. We also ask the employee to disclose any pre-existing conditions and have to trust that they do so. In cases like this we are more likely to seek advice from our qualified medical advisers. A case can still be accepted despite a pre-existing condition if a further injury which is attributable to work is accepted as being the main cause of absence.
