Consent findings made by an Arbitrator of the Workers Compensation Commission (including findings that a worker has 'fully recovered') cannot give rise to an issue estoppel precluding a subsequent claim for permanent impairment compensation, because the Commission's jurisdiction does not extend to making findings binding on the parties for the purpose of determining whether a medical dispute exists as to permanent impairment. Any such dispute must be referred for assessment by an approved medical specialist under Part 7 of Chapter 7 of the 1998 Act. A private law right constituted by an issue estoppel cannot prevent the operation of the statutory requirement for medical assessment.
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