Opinion ID: 1387324
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the decision of the commission is supported by substantial, competent evidence

Text: This Court's scope of review in an Industrial Commission case is firmly established in the Idaho Constitution, the Idaho Code, and case law. On appeal, this Court's review of a decision from the Industrial Commission is limited to questions of law. Idaho Const. art. V, § 9; Langley v. Idaho Industrial Special Indemnity Fund, 126 Idaho 781, 784, 890 P.2d 732, 735 (1995). This Court reviews the Commission's findings of fact exclusively to determine whether the findings are supported by substantial, competent evidence. I.C. § 72-732; Lethrud v. Idaho Industrial Special Indemnity Fund, 126 Idaho 560, 563, 887 P.2d 1067, 1070 (1995); Roberts v. Kit Mfg. Co., 124 Idaho 946, 947, 866 P.2d 969, 970 (1993). The law is well established that this Court does not scrutinize the weight and credibility of the evidence relied upon by the Commission and will only disturb the Commission's findings as to weight and credibility if they are clearly erroneous. Langley, 126 Idaho at 784, 890 P.2d at 735; Challis v. Louisiana-Pac. Corp., 126 Idaho 134, 138, 879 P.2d 597, 601 (1994); Roberts, 124 Idaho at 947, 866 P.2d at 970; Ross v. Tupperware Mfg. Co./Premark, 122 Idaho 641, 643, 837 P.2d 316, 318 (1992); Nycum v. Triangle Dairy Co., 109 Idaho 858, 862, 712 P.2d 559, 563 (1985); Harrison v. Lustra Corp. of Am., 84 Idaho 320, 325-26, 372 P.2d 397, 400-01 (1962); Dyre v. Kloepfer & Cahoon, 64 Idaho 612, 617, 134 P.2d 610, 612 (1943). It would be an improper invasion into the fact finding discretion of the Industrial Commission for the court to hold that the Commission must always give greater weight to one party's medical experts over the other. Soto v. J.R. Simplot, 126 Idaho 536, 539, 887 P.2d 1043, 1046 (1994) (quoting Poss v. Meeker Mach. Shop, 109 Idaho 920, 924-25, 712 P.2d 621, 625-26 (1985)). On appeal, Talbot requests this Court to reconsider the testimony and evidence and to call into question and review the credibility determinations of the Commission. In addition, Talbot asks this Court to reconsider the testimony from one of Talbot's physicians and to engage in a reweighing of the facts, contrary to the long established rule that this Court does not reweigh the findings of the Commission. Talbot essentially invites this Court to depart from the long standing and traditional scope of reviewing a decision from the Industrial Commission, as required by the Constitution, statutes, and a long line of case law, and review de novo the findings and credibility determinations of the Commission. No argument is made by Talbot that the Commission's findings are not supported by substantial, competent evidence in the record. In fact, at oral argument before this Court, the attorney for Talbot admitted without exception that the record contains substantial, competent evidence to support the Commission's findings. Additionally, no argument was made that the Commission's findings are clearly erroneous, that the conclusions are not supported by the findings, or that the Commission committed error as a matter of law. Talbot's single argument on appeal is a plea to this Court to call into question and review anew the findings of the Commission in the hope that this Court might come to a different conclusion than that of the Commission. This Court will not abandon established precedent and may not ignore the express directive of the Idaho Constitution and the Idaho Code. We will review the findings of the Commission on the exclusive basis of determining whether the findings are supported by substantial and competent evidence in the record. Langley, 126 Idaho at 784, 890 P.2d at 735; Roberts, 124 Idaho at 947, 866 P.2d at 970. From our independent review of the record, we conclude that substantial, competent evidence supports the determination of the Commission. Three of the four physicians who examined Talbot concluded that there was no causal connection between the September 1991 incident and Talbot's condition. The one physician who believed that it was probable that the September 1991 injury was the cause of Talbot's condition was found to be less credible by the Commission. The Commission relied upon the opinions of the three physicians who testified that there was no causal connection between the September 1991 incident and Talbot's condition. We conclude that the record supports by substantial and competent evidence the Commission's determination that Talbot's condition was not caused by a work-related accident. On the issue of whether Talbot suffered repetitive traumatic events which aggravated his condition, the record contains testimony by the project supervisor, the safety supervisor, and a co-worker that the trucks at Ames Construction provided a smooth ride with only a slight rocking motion in the truck. We conclude that substantial and competent evidence supports the Commission's determination that Talbot was not subjected to a series of repeated traumatic events that aggravated his condition. Substantial and competent evidence supports the Commission's conclusion that Talbot did not meet his burden of establishing that he suffered from an injury that was caused by an accident arising out of and in the course of his employment.