Following the incident, the applicant began developing debilitating symptoms at work, such as headaches, panic attacks and vision impairment. She lodged a claim for workers’ compensation in respect of “[s]tress due to suicide phone call received on behalf of the ATO”.
Following the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act), Comcare accepted liability to compensate the applicant in respect of her injury, which was described as an “aggravation of major depressive disorder, recurrent episode.”
The “aggravation” referred to the applicant’s pre-existing major depression, which she had been diagnosed with after developing a calf neurofibroma in 2005.
The applicant continued to receive compensation until October 2017, at which time Comcare determined to cease payments. It asserted that, from 30 September 2017, it had no present liability to pay compensation to the applicant under the SRC Act.
The applicant applied to the Tribunal for a review of the decision. With the support of her psychiatrist, she submitted that she continued to experience symptoms including nervousness, anxiety, depression, headaches, and vision impairment, all of which she credited to the 2014 incident.