Opinion ID: 1257602
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the commission made sufficient findings.

Text: Swanson asserts that the Commission failed to make sufficient findings of fact to allow effective appellate review. Specifically, she contends that the Commission did not determine when the injuries and symptoms from the work-related accident completely resolved. She also contends that the Commission made no determination of the contributing causation of the work-related accident and the automobile accident. Swanson argues that the Commission should have determined whether the automobile accident constituted a superceding, intervening event of such overriding significance to relieve Kraft and Ideal Mutual of liability. She also argues that the Commission should have determined whether her psychological, emotional, cultural and marital difficulties were precipitated, aggravated, accelerated or lit up by the work-related accident. We reject each of these assertions, contentions and arguments. The Commission found that Swanson's complaints for which she sought compensation were not attributable to the work-related accident. This finding is sufficient to allow us to review the Commission's decision denying further compensation to Swanson. In Madron v. Green Giant Company, 94 Idaho 747, 497 P.2d 1048 (1972) this Court held that it is not necessary for the Commission to make detailed findings on every fragment of evidence presented to it. The only requirement in this regard is that the [Commission] make findings of fact sufficient to support its award and which will enable this court on appeal to assess the propriety of that award in light of such findings. Id. at 751, 497 P.2d at 1052. The additional findings that Swanson contends the Commission should have made were not necessary to support the decision of the Commission nor were they necessary for our review. The Commission found that the complaints for which Swanson sought compensation were not attributable to the work-related accident. The Commission noted: There is considerable medical opinion that [Swanson's] conditions do not relate to the industrial accident but instead are attributable to psychological factors. The Commission accepted the opinions of Dr. Kennedy, Dr. Powell and Dr. Henson over that of Dr. Whitenack as to the causation of Swanson's problems and denied her further compensation. The Commission's findings that Swanson's complaints were not attributable to, nor caused by, the work-related accident support the Commission's decision that Swanson was not entitled to additional medical or income benefits. If her complaints were not attributable to, nor caused by, the work-related accident, she was not entitled to any further compensation. It was also not necessary for there to be additional findings to permit this Court to review the Commission's decision. Whether Swanson's injuries and symptoms from the work-related accident had completely resolved or not, does not impugn the Commission's determination that Swanson's complaints after the automobile accident were not caused by the work-related accident. Swanson's argument that the Commission's findings are deficient because they do not determine the contributing causation of the work-related accident and the automobile accident also does not persuade us. It is clear to us that the Commission found that neither of the two accidents was the cause of Swanson's continuing problems. The Commission found that Swanson's condition for which she seeks further compensation was the result of psychological factors independent of her accidents. Swanson also argues that the Commission should have determined whether these psychological conditions were precipitated, aggravated or lit up by the work-related accident. The findings of the Commission that Swanson's complaints were not attributable to, nor caused by, the work-related accident disposes of this argument also. The Commission's findings are sufficient to rule out that Swanson's psychological conditions were precipitated, aggravated or lit up by the work-related accident.