Opinion ID: 2356320
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Overwhelming Weight of Evidence

Text: [¶ 32] Having determined that some of the Commission's credibility determinations are not supported by substantial evidence, it is now incumbent upon this Court to credit that testimony in determining the next part of the standard of review. In this regard we apply this standard: ... whether there is substantial evidence to support the agency's decision to reject the evidence offered by the burdened party by considering whether that conclusion was contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence in the record as a whole. Dale, ¶ 22, 188 P.3d at 561. [¶ 33] We conclude that Wallingford's testimony was credible. Her decision to file a Wyoming Report of Injury Form was a duty, not some sort of option that turned on whether or not she believed Camilleri, at the time Camilleri made her report. In her deposition, she testified under oath and answered the questions asked of her. Her perceptions of the climate in the workplace at the Center may have differed from that of others who worked there, but the only questioning by the Division of any substance was whether or not she was still friends with Camilleri. [¶ 34] We conclude that Dr. Randolph's testimony was credible. He appeared to be the only medical professional who had a complete grasp of Camilleri's medical picture. He was forthright in testifying that no medical expert could say that Camilleri did, or did not, have a serious injury to her shoulder, and that the final diagnosis would only come to light after surgery. He testified that the workplace incident described by Camilleri could have caused the injury, although he did not decide one way or the other whether it actually did happen exactly as Camilleri described. In this regard, the Commission did not appear to take into account that Dr. Randolph's duty as a physician is to treat patients who present with injuries that are treatable, whether or not he finds the details of their history credible or not. If Camilleri had a treatable shoulder injury, then it appeared to be his goal to do his best by her. To some extent, the other physicians who figure in the evidentiary picture of this case looked at her history of depression and anxiety and dismissed her as a psychiatric case. Camilleri never denied that she suffered from what may be categorized as psychiatric problems (anxiety/depression). [¶ 35] Our criticisms of the Commission's credibility findings raise significant difficulties in crediting its ultimate conclusions. However, we have carefully reviewed all of the evidence contained in the record in reaching our ultimate holding. After that careful review, we hold that the record contains substantial evidence to support the Commission's decision to reject much of the testimony/evidence offered by Camilleri herself, as well as that the Commission's decision was not contrary to the overwhelming weight of the evidence in the record as a whole. Thus, while we are greatly concerned that the Commission's analysis of the testimonial and documentary evidence was seriously flawed we conclude that the Commission's decision should be affirmed.