Opinion ID: 2581635
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did Torres Report her Injury in a Timely Manner

Text: [¶ 19] We address this issue first because it is a threshold issue. If Torres' reports were not timely, and the presumption of prejudice that attaches thereto was not rebutted by Torres, then we need not dispositively address the hearing examiner's findings that Torres failed to offer adequate proof of her hernia injury. [¶ 20] Here, the record is quite clear that Torres did not report her injury to her employer within 72 hours of the date on which a correct diagnosis was communicated to her. Likewise, her report of the injury was not submitted to the Division within ten days of that same date. Because neither report was timely filed, the presumption of prejudice to the Division and the employer arose. Wesaw, ¶ 14. Torres concedes, and the record bears out the concession, that she made no attempt to overcome the presumption of prejudice to the employer and the Division because she did not deem the issue to have been joined by the Division's papers. We conclude that the issue of the timeliness of Torres' reports was clearly placed into controversy and that there is substantial evidence to support the hearing examiner's findings of fact in that regard. We also conclude that the hearing examiner's conclusions of law were in consonance with the governing statute.