ATA/613/1996•Adequate causality of psychiatric sequelae after grave accident
ATA/613/1996Court of Justice / Administrative ChamberOct 29, 1996Modified
Extracted by Omnilex
The tribunal dealt with an accident-insurance dispute concerning the consequences of a frontal collision. It held that the accident was grave, accepted adequate causality between the accident and the insured person’s psychiatric sequelae, and fixed the overall impairment of integrity at 30%. The decision thus confirmed the serious nature of the accident and incorporated the psychical consequences into the global assessment of loss of integrity.
LAA art. 24; qualification of the accident and assessment of impairment of integrity in the presence of psychiatric sequelae. A frontal collision causing significant bodily injuries may be classified as a grave accident. Where the medical and factual circumstances justify it, psychiatric disorders following the event may be in adequate causal relation to the accident and taken into account in the global assessment of integrity impairment. The court may therefore determine the overall rate of impairment by considering both physical and psychical consequences (consid. not provided).
Descripteurs
ASSURANCE SOCIALE; ACCIDENT GRAVE; MALADIE DE SCHEUERMANN; ACCIDENT; AA; AFFECTION OCULAIRE; TROUBLE AUDITIF; CAPACITE DE TRAVAIL PARTIELLE; TENDANCE A LA REVENDICATION; AFFECTION PSYCHIQUE; PSYCHOLOGIE; CAUSALITE ADEQUATE; RECONSIDERATION; ASSU
Normes
LAA.24
Résumé
Le TA qualifie d'accident grave une collision frontale ayant entraîné un traumatisme crânien et la fracture de deux côtes et de l'os zygomatique du chauffeur. Il admet un taux d'atteinte globale à l'intégrité de 30 %, compte tenu notamment de l'admission d'un lien de causalité adéquat entre l'accident et les troubles psychiques qui s'en sont suivis.
Extracted by Omnilex
Whether the frontal collision qualified as a grave accident under accident insurance law
The collision was classified as a grave accident because of the seriousness of the injuries sustained.
The accident involved a frontal impact with head trauma, two fractured ribs, and a fracture of the zygomatic bone, which justified the grave characterization.
Whether the psychiatric disorders following the accident had adequate causal link to the accident
An adequate causal link was admitted between the accident and the subsequent psychiatric disorders.
The nature and consequences of the accident were sufficiently serious to justify attributing the psychiatric sequelae to it in law.
What overall degree of impairment of integrity should be recognized
The overall impairment of integrity was fixed at 30%.
The court took into account both the physical consequences and the psychical consequences recognized as adequately caused by the accident.
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