Definition of severe injury

"Severe injury", except in Part 6, means:

  1. a significant acquired brain injury, paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputation of a limb or burns to more than 50 percent of the body; or
  2. any other injury specified by the regulations for the purposes of this definition

The following injuries have been prescribed by regulation as severe injuries:

  • permanent blindness
  • burns to not more than 50 percent of the body that cause severe disfigurement and comprise of full thickness burns:
    • to the head, neck, arms or lower legs; or
    • that result in severe difficulties in performing mobility, communication and self care tasks
  • a brachial plexus injury that results in the loss of the use of a limb


"Permanent blindness" - means:

  1. a field of vision that is constricted to 10 degrees or less of arc from central fixation in the better eye irrespective of corrected visual acuity; or
  2. a corrected visual acuity of less than 6/60 of the Snellen Scale in both eyes; or
  3. a combination of visual defects resulting in the same degree of visual loss as referred to in paragraph (a) or (b)