Opinion ID: 2639523
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: standard of review

Text: [¶ 16] A worker's compensation claimant has the burden of proving every essential element of his claim by a preponderance of the evidence. Decker v. State ex rel. Wyoming Medical Comm'n, 2005 WY 160, ¶ 21, 124 P.3d 686, 693 (Wyo.2005); Cramer v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety & Comp. Div., 2005 WY 124, ¶ 8, 120 P.3d 668, 670 (Wyo.2005). Under the statutory definition of injury, he must prove that his injury arose out of and in the course of his employment. Whether an employee's injury occurred in the course of his employment is a question of fact. Id. [¶ 17] When reviewing an administrative agency order, we review the case as if it came directly from the administrative agency, affording no deference to the district court's decision. Hicks v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety and Comp. Div., 2005 WY 11, ¶ 16, 105 P.3d 462, 469 (Wyo.2005). The scope of our review is governed by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-3-114(c) (LexisNexis 2005), which provides: (c) To the extent necessary to make a decision and when presented, the reviewing court shall decide all relevant questions of law, interpret constitutional and statutory provisions, and determine the meaning or applicability of the terms of an agency action. In making the following determinations, the court shall review the whole record or those parts of it cited by a party and due account shall be taken of the rule of prejudicial error. The reviewing court shall: (i) Compel agency action unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed; and (ii) Hold unlawful and set aside agency action, findings and conclusions found to be: (A) Arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with law; (B) Contrary to constitutional right, power, privilege or immunity; (C) In excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority or limitations or lacking statutory right; (D) Without observance of procedure required by law; or (E) Unsupported by substantial evidence in a case reviewed on the record of an agency hearing provided by statute. [¶ 18] In appeals where both parties to a contested case submit evidence, appellate review of the evidence is limited to application of the substantial evidence test. Berg v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety & Comp. Div., 2005 WY 23, ¶ 7, 106 P.3d 867, 870 (Wyo.2005); Newman v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety & Comp. Div., 2002 WY 91, ¶ 22, 49 P.3d 163, 171 (Wyo. 2002). We review the entire record and apply the substantial evidence test as follows: In reviewing findings of fact, we examine the entire record to determine whether there is substantial evidence to support an agency's findings. If the agency's decision is supported by substantial evidence, we cannot properly substitute our judgment for that of the agency and must uphold the findings on appeal. Substantial evidence is relevant evidence which a reasonable mind might accept in support of the agency's conclusions. It is more than a scintilla of evidence. Cramer, ¶ 10, 120 P.3d at 671. [¶ 19] Even if an agency record contains sufficient evidence to support the administrative decision under the substantial evidence test, this Court applies the arbitrary-and-capricious standard as a safety net to catch other agency action that may have violated the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act. Decker, ¶ 24, 124 P.3d at 694; Loomer v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety & Comp. Div., 2004 WY 47, ¶ 15, 88 P.3d 1036, 1041 (Wyo.2004). Under the umbrella of arbitrary and capricious actions would fall potential mistakes such as inconsistent or incomplete findings of fact or any violation of due process. Decker, ¶ 24, 124 P.3d at 694 (quoting Padilla v. State ex rel. Wyoming Workers' Safety & Comp. Div., 2004 WY 10, ¶ 6, 84 P.3d 960, 962 (Wyo. 2004)).