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Workers Compensation Claim of Decker v. State of Wyoming
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Workers Compensation Claim of Decker v. State of Wyoming was a case before the Wyoming Supreme Court in 2008 concerning the application of open meetings laws to medical examination boards which determine workers compensation claims.
Important precedents
This case established that the definition of public body which includes bodies created by statute requires direct legislative enactment, not merely permissive legislation which leaves the creation of bodies at the discretion of an executive offices.[1]
Background
- Daniel Decker, a sheet metal worker, was denied workers compensation for alleged claims that his work with sheet metal had aggravated a wrist condition.
- Decker appealed the decision on multiple levels, and was again denied.
- Decker filed a suit, alleging the appeal hearings violated both the due process law and the Wyoming Public Meetings Act because they failed to contact him and allow him to be present at the hearing.[1]
Ruling of the court
The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Medical Commission hearing panel. The court determined that the panel did not fall under the definition of body in the public meetings law because the hearings panels were not created directly by statute, but indirectly by decisions of a particular state office. In addition, the impermanent nature of the panels removes them from the scope of the law. Finally, the legislatures allowance of up to 45 days for the Medical Commission's decision indicates that it in no way meant to restrict deliberations to predetermined open meetings. Based on these decisions, the court ruled that the Medical Commission had not violated the public meetings law.[1]
Associated cases
See also
- Wyoming Public Meetings Act
External links
Footnotes
