PUB urges MPI to hire independent brain expert

The Public Utilities Board is calling on Manitoba Public Insurance to examine how they diagnose, access, and manage brain injuries, stemming from allegations from a Manitoba man that the Crown corporation mishandled his injury claim. 

In a report released Tuesday, the provincial regulator recommended MPI appoint an independent external doctor that focuses on brain injuries.

During several weeks of hearings in the fall, several witnesses spoke on how the insurer handles personal injury claims.

“The person that was driving the car is not the person that is here today, that personality didn’t survive the crash,” said Barry Waito, victim of a brain injury.

Waito was one of those witnesses, after he says his life was forever altered after a vehicle collision in 2016. 

Following the incident Waito says he began suffering from a series of symptoms including double vision, constant headaches, and memory loss.  Motivating Waito to seek an expert opinion.

However, despite numerous consultations confirming he had suffered a brain injury, Waito says his claim continued to fall on deaf ears.

“Numerous neurologists who all did testing and all said you have double vision, you have binocular dysfunction, everyone of them said that, but MPI’s internal reviewers we don’t agree with that,” said Waito.

“Because it is the brain it impacts your life its not just an acute condition but a potentially chronic and long-term change to your life,” said Lisa Engel, Board member of the Manitoba Brain Injury Association.

Engel says much of the research on brain injuries has evolved greatly in the past 10 years. But says the time is now for the province to take the condition seriously. 

“How do we create a strategy in Manitoba, so its not just about brain injury from a motor vehicle accident or I had my brain injury from this but that we actually have a robust and integrated system in the province for what is one of the largest health diagnostics in the world,” said Engel.

A spokesperson from MPI says claimants who disagree with decisions about benefit entitlement can file an appeal.

But Waito believes the decision was made prior to walking into the room.

“It didn’t matter what I gave them their mind was made up and they were just going to keep saying no and keep saying no because I’m supposed to go away. I’m not going away,” said Waito.

In a statement from Matt Wiebe, Minister in charge of MPI, says the province is looking into the PUB’s report and is “taking the recommendations seriously.”