A trial judge's evaluative assessment of whether an injury is 'serious' under s 134AB of the Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) will not be disturbed on appeal unless plainly wrong. The assessment is multifactorial and must consider both what the worker has lost and retained, but need not be determined by a checklist of activities. The combination of ongoing variable pain with dramatic loss of recreational activities central to a worker's life can satisfy the 'at least very considerable' threshold even where the worker retains capacity to work and perform daily activities.
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