Traumatic contusion or haematoma
Meaning of traumatic contusion or haematoma: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, traumatic contusion or haematoma: (a) means a blood collection in the skin, tissue or organ as a result of application of physical force causing tissue damage and internal bleeding; and (b) includes traumatic contusion of organs including the heart, pericardium, lung, pleura, liver, spleen, and kidneys, bone, joint, eye, orbit; and (c) excludes: (i) blood collections associated with a fracture; and (ii) blood collections associated with subarachnoid haemorrhage, subdural haemorrhage, extradural haemorrhage or cerebrovascular accident;
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 43 of 2024
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting traumatic contusion or haematoma or death from traumatic contusion or haematoma with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having trauma involving the affected site within the 24 hours before clinical onset;
- (2)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for traumatic contusion or haematoma before clinical worsening;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 44 of 2024
2 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, traumatic contusion or haematoma or death from traumatic contusion or haematoma is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having trauma involving the affected site within the 24 hours before clinical onset;
- (2)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for traumatic contusion or haematoma before clinical worsening;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.








