AAI Ltd t as AAMI v Ahmed

AAI Limited, trading as AAMI, brought a case against Mr Ahmed in relation to a motor accident that occurred on 17 June 2021. Mr Ahmed sought compensation for injuries sustained in the accident. The primary dispute centred on whether certain injuries were classified as "threshold injuries" under the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017, which would entitle Mr Ahmed to compensation for medical expenses and other related costs.

The legal issues before the court were whether the injuries to the lumbar spine, right foot, and left foot qualified as threshold injuries and whether the radial tear to Mr Ahmed's right knee, which was identified as a non-threshold injury, was properly classified. Additionally, the court had to determine the causation of the right knee injury, as this was a point of contention between the parties.

The court found that the injuries to the lumbar spine and both feet were threshold injuries, as determined by the Medical Assessor (MA) Berry. Regarding the right knee injury, the court applied the test of causation as established in Briggs v IAG Limited. The evidence supported that Mr Ahmed's right knee had struck the dashboard with a slight twist or rotatory force, resulting in a radial tear to the medial meniscus. The insurer conceded that if the causation was satisfied, the injury to the knee would indeed be a non-threshold injury. Consequently, the court concluded that the injury to the right knee was a non-threshold injury, while the soft tissue injuries to the lumbar spine and both feet were threshold injuries. The Medical Assessment Certificate of MA Berry was affirmed by the court.