Opinion ID: 1238907
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: delay in issuing a final decision

Text: Nelson's claim that reversal is warranted by virtue of the nine-month delay must also fail as she does not cite to any authority for reversal or establish any prejudice caused by the delay. Matter of Smith, 762 P.2d 1193, 1198 (Wyo.1988). Nelson's first claim of prejudice is based on financial hardship caused by the Division's failure to pay benefits while waiting for the hearing examiner's decision. Financial hardship is not a proper consideration in determining prejudice. If the facts in evidence demonstrate that Nelson was not entitled to benefits at the time of the hearing, she cannot show her financial difficulties were due to a delay in awarding those benefits. Nelson also alleges she was prejudiced because the delay caused the hearing examiner to forget the evidence presented at the hearing. Nelson points to several alleged inconsistencies between the record of the hearing and the hearing examiner's Findings of Fact. The real question, however, is whether the discrepancies undermine the evidentiary support for the hearing examiner's conclusions. The hearing examiner summarized his conclusions in relevant part as follows: THIS HEARING OFFICER HAS CONCLUDED that Beverly Nelson has failed in carrying her burden of proof by establishing by preponderance of the evidence all the essential elements of her claim against Sheridan Manor. In short, her failure to report the accident or incident to her employer, the equivocal and speculative testimony of Dr. Batty in contradistinction to the unequivocal testimony of Dr. Cole, and the innumerable inconsistencies in the Claimant's testimony all result in such a failure. Nelson initially notes that the hearing examiner misidentified a hearing exhibit, citing the Division's hearing Exhibit 16 which was not admitted into evidence, rather than citing the identical material admitted into evidence by Sheridan Manor. We see no prejudice to Nelson's case in this clerical error. The material considered by the hearing examiner was properly admitted. Nelson also claims the hearing examiner misstated the evidence in two instances. First, Nelson correctly notes the hearing examiner found Sheridan Manor was never advised of an incident or injury or accident at Sheridan Manor when, in fact, Fisher testified she heard about the claim from a co-employee a few days after Nelson's resignation. We see no error in this statement when read with the hearing examiner's conclusion. Fisher's testimony established that Nelson never personally informed Fisher of an injury nor filled out a report, even though company policy required such report. A discussion with a co-employee which later finds its way to the supervisor does not undermine the hearing examiner's conclusions based on Nelson's failure to report the injury to her employer. Nelson further points out that the hearing examiner erroneously found that Nelson told Dr. Batty in her first telephone call that her problem could be carpal tunnel. To the contrary, the hearing transcript indicates Nelson testified that Dr. Batty told her the condition could be carpal tunnel. Again, this error does not remove evidentiary support for the hearing examiner's conclusions in light of Fisher's testimony that Nelson stated she had carpal tunnel for a long time. None of the inconsistencies identified by Nelson address uncontested facts which were essential to the hearing examiner's determination and, therefore, there is no substantial prejudice to Nelson's claim. We decline to consider Nelson's allegation that the hearing examiner's decision is a form of retaliation for petitioning for a Peremptory Writ of Mandamus as it is not supported by cogent argument or authority. We also note that the conclusions of the hearing examiner were abundantly supported by the record.