Carl M. Patton v. Employees Retirement System of Texas

**What Happened:** Carl Patton worked for the Texas state retirement system and received occupational disability retirement benefits after being injured on the job. The retirement system's board later decided to terminate his benefits, claiming he no longer qualified under their rules. Patton challenged this decision, arguing the board improperly applied new administrative rules to his existing benefits. **What the Court Decided:** The Texas Court of Appeals ruled in Patton's favor, finding that the retirement board acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" when it cut off his benefits. The court determined the board wrongfully applied new administrative rules retroactively to Patton's case and abused its discretion in the process. The court overturned the lower court's decision that had supported the board's termination of benefits. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This ruling protects workers from having their existing benefits unfairly taken away through improper rule changes. It establishes that government agencies cannot arbitrarily apply new rules to existing benefit recipients without proper justification. Workers can take comfort knowing that courts will review agency decisions and overturn those that are unreasonable or improperly applied, especially regarding disability benefits earned through workplace injuries.