Sudbury WSIB claimant's doctor pushes to change 'unresponsive' system

Some injured workers and their doctors in Sudbury say their claims are too often ignored or denied by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

PaulChartrandalmost died after falling head-first from a lift at the mine he was working at four years ago. He was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and still suffers from head and back injuries.

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Chartrand fears he won't get better because he says the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is trying to end his coverage. Hesaid his physiotherapy has already beencut off.

"This is just going to get worse and worse for me," he told CBC News.

"I need the ongoing help and all the help that I can the phsyio, everything."

Chartrand's rehabilitative psychologist, Dr. Keith Klassen, said there's no way he could go back to work.

"Literally, even pushing a broom would be too much."

Klassen said Chartrand is just one of a long list of injured workers who've had their doctor's recommendations rejected by WSIB.

Up North8:06Sudbury doctors raise concerns about WSIB

Sudbury doctors, including psychologist Dr. Keith Klassen, raised concerns at Queen's Park about WSIB.

WSIB denied a CBC News interview request because it doesn't comment on individual cases.

"We'd like to reiterate that there are significant safeguards in the system and stringent checks and balances," the agency stated in an email.

"For any injured worker who wishes to have a WSIB decision reconsidered, a two-level appeals process exists, which includes the independent Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. Workers also have access to the Office of the Worker Adviser, an independent service offered by the province."

'Slow' system

Klassen voiced his concerns about the issue at Queen's Park last week, and is expected to meet with the Minister of Labour soon.

"It's almost like the whole system has become slow and unresponsive," he continued.

"It's very difficult because what I'm supposed to be dealing with in the session is their adjustment to the changes that have happened and their losses in their day to day life what I end up dealing with is, I call it, secondary trauma. [That's] where they're just so distressed that this is happening to them and I'm having to help them cope with that instead."

Klassen said the WSIB appears to fall back on a familiar refrain when it's dealing with injured people:

"[The injuries] can't really be that important. You can't really be having all this pain. You can't really not be able to go back to work. You must really be able to go back to work. And that's the theme I hear. It's almost like a song."

Doubly frustrating is that claimants "are told that they don't really read our reports and that our opinion isn't really important," he added.

"It's my firm opinion that, over the past five years they've reduced the deficit at WSIB, which was $5 billion dollars, ... by simply not serving claimants ... The issue is they haven't been honest and transparent about it."

Worker fears what's next

It took Klassen a year and a half to see Chartrand because WSIB said psychological services weren't necessary.

"I was actually willing to see him for no fee at that time, but he felt bad and didn't think that was appropriate," Klassen said.

Now that WSIB has already cut off his physiotherapy, Chartrand said he fears what's next.

"How do I live? Do I lose my home? Do I lose my wife? Do I lose my kids? What happens to me? Of course, I'm afraid. What else can you think?"

Chartrand said the experience has been 'a very emotional and painful ride.'

"Don't [doctor's opinions] mean anything anymore?"