Federal Agency Decisions
Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB), each with a plain-English summary, the law it cites, and whether it counts as precedent. More agencies are coming.
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S.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board returns postal worker’s carpal tunnel claim (ECAB 25-0799)
A postal sales and distribution associate attributed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and elbow conditions to repetitive mail handling. Her physician explained a possible mechanism, though the Board found the opinion insufficient to establish causation outright. The opinion warranted a specialist’s…
V.A., widow of P.A., and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service
Board returns air marshal’s claim for combined file review (ECAB 25-0736)
A federal air marshal’s widow appealed an OWCP decision involving the worker’s multiple accepted injuries. The Board found that a separate lower extremity injury file had not been combined with related claim files. It directed OWCP to combine them, consider the full record, and decide again.
G.F., widower of D.K., and U.S. Postal Service, Miami-Snapper Creek Post Office
Board returns deceased carrier’s disability claim for medical review (ECAB 25-0346)
A deceased letter carrier’s widower pursued wage loss for the period December 2012 through August 2021 after an accepted knee and ankle injury. OWCP relied on a second opinion that was conclusory and lacked sufficient rationale. The Board found the record was not ready for decision and directed…
C.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Antioch Post Office
Board upholds life insurance overpayment and recovery (ECAB 24-0400)
OWCP failed to deduct life insurance premiums from a postal worker’s wage loss compensation for more than a decade. The Board upheld a $21,027.90 overpayment and found him without fault. It also upheld denial of waiver and recovery through $932.41 deductions every 28 days.
S.C. and U.S. Postal Service, North Kenner Station
Board upholds part of wage loss calculation and returns remaining claim (ECAB 23-0094)
A letter carrier disputed wage loss payments after an accepted right elbow injury. The Board upheld OWCP’s calculation for April 12 through September 20, 2021. It found the remaining claimed disability was not ready for a final decision and returned that issue to OWCP.
N.H. and Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Board returns Navy helper’s arm injury claim for visible-injury processing (ECAB 26-0014)
A Navy shipyard helper struck his left arm against a guardrail after tripping on a stair. The Board found that the incident caused a visible left arm contusion. It reversed OWCP’s denial and remanded for OWCP to apply its procedures for accepting visible injuries and issue a new decision.
H.H. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Richmond International Airport
Board returns airport officer’s shoulder claim for medical review (ECAB 26-0012)
A transportation security officer attributed bilateral shoulder conditions to repeated lifting and carrying of heavy bags. OWCP rejected the work duties as unproven, but the employer’s description confirmed them. The Board directed OWCP to consider medical causation using those established duties…
S.M. and Department of the Navy, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Board returns Navy worker’s claim expansion request (ECAB 26-0010)
A Navy electrician sought to add lumbar conditions to a claim accepted after a steel plate struck his leg. A treating physician explained how the incident and fall could have caused lumbar radiculopathy. The Board found the new opinion warranted further development and returned the expansion…
Secretary of Labor v. Gordon Sand Co.
Long delinquency history defeats reopening
Gordon Sand sought reopening after MSHA issued a separate citation for failure to pay more than $25,000 in outstanding penalties. The company attributed its difficulties to the 2020 death of the person who had handled mining matters but did not describe a replacement process for assessments. The…
Lake City Paint Inc.
In re Lake City Paint Inc. (EAB TSCA Appeal No. 26-01Q): quick-resolution penalty paid and matter resolved
EPA filed a complaint against Lake City Paint Inc. on January 7, 2026, alleging violations of the Methylene Chloride Rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The complaint sought a $14,000 penalty. Lake City Paint paid the full penalty, and EPA notified the EAB on January 23 that payment had…
McCurry Contractors, Inc.
ARB lacks jurisdiction over H-2B certification appeal
McCurry Contractors asked the ARB to review a BALCA decision affirming denial of its H-2B temporary labor certification application. The Board held that the Secretary had delegated this review process to BALCA and had not authorized the ARB to hear appeals from BALCA. Several authorities cited by…
Ernesto Gallegos Lagos v. SOC, LLC and Continental Insurance Company
Gallegos Lagos v. SOC (BRB 24-0207): psychological injury and hearing loss denials affirmed
Ernesto Gallegos Lagos sought benefits for psychological conditions and hearing loss he attributed to security work in Iraq. The judge found that the employer had rebutted the presumption that his conditions were work related and that Gallegos Lagos had not proved causation after the evidence was…
F.D. and Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Inspection Division
Board returns agricultural grader’s wage loss claim (ECAB 25-0880)
An agricultural commodity grader sought wage loss for two periods after an accepted shoulder injury. His treating physician linked his inability to work to upper extremity demands of the grading job. The Board found that opinion insufficient to award benefits but strong enough to require a…
L.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Washington Main Office Post Office
Board dismisses postal worker’s late appeal (ECAB 26-0261)
A postal worker appealed a July 8, 2025 OWCP decision on January 20, 2026. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not decide whether OWCP correctly resolved the underlying compensation claim.
A.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Margaret L. Sellers Processing and Distribution Center
Board dismisses postal worker’s late appeal (ECAB 26-0227)
A postal worker appealed a June 5, 2025 OWCP decision on January 7, 2026. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not decide whether OWCP correctly resolved the underlying compensation claim.
Matter of S-M-H-
Frivolous asylum finding affirmed
The respondent, a Somali national who had acquired Canadian citizenship, was found to have knowingly filed a frivolous asylum application by omitting that citizenship and using a different identity. The Board held that the written warning on the asylum application itself gave statutorily sufficient…
M.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Hudson Post Office
Board upholds denial of rural carrier’s wage loss claim (ECAB 26-0020)
A rural mail carrier sought wage loss after an accepted right foot injury. A later physician’s report said he had been unable to work, but the Board found it lacked a sufficient date-specific medical explanation connecting the claimed disability to the accepted injury. It upheld denial for the…
M.M. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Board returns ICE officer’s stress claim for proper development (ECAB 26-0016)
An ICE officer reported a subarachnoid hemorrhage after an overtime shift and attributed it to cumulative work stress and demands. OWCP treated the filing as a simple traumatic injury claim without developing the alleged stress factors. The Board directed OWCP to investigate those factors under its…
P.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board upholds denial of carrier’s disability recurrence (ECAB 25-0904)
A postal worker sought benefits for a renewed period of disability after an accepted 2019 injury. Her physician documented knee symptoms and treatment but did not explain how the accepted condition worsened or caused inability to work starting January 2, 2025. The Board upheld denial of the…
S.C. and Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Field Policy and Management, Region III
Board upholds denial of HUD worker’s lumbar claim (ECAB 25-0898)
A HUD public affairs specialist reported back symptoms after slipping on a grate without falling. Physicians diagnosed lumbar disc and nerve conditions, but the Board found their causation opinions speculative or lacking a reasoned explanation. It upheld denial.
S.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, John J. Pershing Medical Center
Board upholds denial of VA worker’s EBV claim (ECAB 25-0839)
A VA social worker attributed Epstein-Barr virus to an accepted workplace exposure to environmental irritants. Her physician described symptoms but did not explain how that exposure caused or aggravated the viral condition. The Board upheld denial for lack of a reasoned causation opinion.
Louis V. Degol v. Cooney Brothers Coal Company and Rockwood Casualty Insurance Company
Degol v. Cooney Brothers Coal (BRB 24-0185): benefit entitlement upheld; employer liability remanded
Louis Degol hauled coal for Cooney Brothers Coal for more than twenty-five years. An administrative law judge found him an independent contractor, dismissed the company as the responsible operator, and directed the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund to pay benefits. The Board affirmed Degol’s…
Williams v. MTA Bus New York City Transit
Transit retaliation appeal dismissed after briefing failures
Latesha Williams appealed dismissal of her transit whistleblower complaint for abandonment. The Board ordered an opening brief, later returned her call about mailing instructions after a government shutdown, and issued an order requiring her to explain the missing brief. Her eventual mailed…
M.Y. and U.S. Postal Service, Royal Palm Processing and Distribution Center
Board upholds denial of permanent impairment award (ECAB 26-0025)
A postal worker sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. Her physician described conditions but gave no rating of a covered body member. Another physician found no ratable lower extremity impairment supported by the examination or diagnostic studies. The Board upheld denial of the award.
H.A. and Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs
Board returns DOL worker’s cervical claim expansion request (ECAB 25-0887)
A DOL claims examiner sought to add cervical degenerative disc disease to an accepted claim. His treating physician compared imaging over time and linked worsening disease to many years of computer work posture. The Board found the report called for further review and returned the expansion request…
E.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board returns carrier’s intermittent disability claim (ECAB 25-0837)
A postal city carrier sought intermittent wage loss after accepted foot and knee conditions. OWCP’s referral physician restricted him to six hours of work a day, but her opinion did not resolve disability during the claimed periods in light of all accepted conditions. The Board directed OWCP to…
V.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Jackson VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of late reconsideration request (ECAB 23-0581)
A VA pharmacist requested reconsideration of a December 2018 merit decision in June 2022. The Board found the request came after the one-year period and did not demonstrate clear evidence of error in the earlier decision. It upheld OWCP’s refusal to reopen the claim.
V.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Medical Center
Board upholds denial of remaining disability and claim expansion (ECAB 23-0133)
A VA worker sought additional wage loss after an accepted 2011 injury and asked to add lymphedema to the claim. The Board found that the submitted medical evidence did not establish disability for the remaining claimed period or a causal link between lymphedema and the accepted injury. It upheld…
Brigade Energy Services LLC
Explosive-handling citation vacated
Brigade Energy Services was the general contractor for work to plug and abandon an oil well in Grassy Butte, North Dakota. A surface explosion occurred while a Brigade worker held a wireline component as a specialty contractor connected it to a steel tube loaded with explosives, injuring three…
John Beinobwengye v. Sabre International Security and Continental Insurance Company
Beinobwengye v. Sabre International Security (BRB 24-0333): psychological injury claim denied
John Beinobwengye sought benefits for psychological conditions he attributed to security work in Iraq. A clinical officer diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, while an employer-retained psychologist concluded that testing and records did not support a work related condition. The…
W.H. and Department of Energy, Office of Emergency Management
Board dismisses Energy Department worker’s late appeal (ECAB 26-0026)
An Energy Department employee appealed an April 4, 2025 OWCP decision on October 2, 2025, one day after the Board’s 180-day deadline. The Board dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. It did not address whether OWCP correctly decided the underlying compensation claim.
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board returns postal worker’s back claim for combined file review (ECAB 25-0891)
A postal city carrier sought review after OWCP ended benefits tied to a 2021 back injury. A separate accepted 2012 injury also involved her lower back, but OWCP had kept the files apart. The Board directed OWCP to combine them, consider the full record, and issue a new decision.
Matter of D-G-B-L-
Serious-crime bar applies despite duress
The respondent, a Mexican national, sought adjustment of status, asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture after admitting that she electronically transferred and physically transported millions of dollars in drug-trafficking proceeds for a cartel. The…
J.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Centereach Post Office
Board reverses termination based on job offer (ECAB 26-0011)
A postal worker declined a modified job offer that the employer described as a permanent rehabilitation assignment. OWCP ended wage loss under a rule concerning refusal of temporary limited duty. The Board held OWCP had not shown the offered job was temporary and reversed the termination.
A.A. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Board upholds compensation forfeiture overpayment (ECAB 25-0923)
A worker had forfeited wage loss compensation for September 2023 through March 2024 after failing to disclose material information, as determined in an earlier Board decision. The Board upheld a $43,267.57 overpayment for that period. It also upheld OWCP’s finding of fault, which barred waiver.
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Boggs Road Post Office
Board returns shoulder claim for a reasoned OWCP decision (ECAB 25-0916)
A postal mail handler claimed a shoulder condition from repetitive duties. OWCP summarily denied the claim while saying no medical evidence had been submitted, although it had received physician reports. The Board directed OWCP to address that evidence and give clear reasons in a new decision.
J.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Portland Maine Sorting and Delivery Center
Board reverses suspension after examination was rescheduled (ECAB 25-0900)
A postal worker missed a scheduled medical examination after asking for a closer location. OWCP rescheduled it during the period for her to explain the missed appointment but then suspended benefits for not attending the original one. The Board found good cause for her absence and reversed the…
B.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Board returns VA technician’s chemical exposure claim (ECAB 25-0876)
A VA medical instrument technician reported symptoms after an accepted workplace chemical exposure and fall. Her physician diagnosed neck and head conditions after the incident. The Board found that a diagnosed condition was established and directed OWCP to separately decide whether the exposure…
M.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Cathedral City Post Office
Board dismisses postal worker’s late appeal (ECAB 26-0035)
A postal worker appealed a February 12, 2025 OWCP decision on October 14, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. It did not address the underlying compensation claim.
E.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Weirton Post Office
Board dismisses withdrawn postal worker appeal (ECAB 26-0022)
A postal worker appealed a September 18, 2025 OWCP decision. The worker later requested withdrawal, and the Board granted it. This order ends the Board appeal without deciding whether OWCP correctly resolved the compensation claim.
L.P. and U.S. Postal Service, North Houston Post Office
Board returns postal worker’s claim expansion for combined review (ECAB 26-0019)
A postal mail handler sought to add cervical and shoulder conditions to an accepted claim. Other accepted injury files concerned the same body areas, but OWCP had not combined them. The Board directed OWCP to merge the records and decide the expansion request again.
R.G. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations
Board returns schedule award for combined claim review (ECAB 26-0017)
An ICE worker received a schedule award for two percent impairment of each lower extremity. Several earlier accepted back and leg injury files had not been combined with the current file. The Board directed OWCP to combine them and decide the award using the full record.
S.T. and Federal Judiciary, U.S. District Court
Board returns surgery authorization request for evidence review (ECAB 25-0917)
A federal court clerk requested authorization for right arm surgery related to accepted conditions. OWCP denied it because the request had not entered its treatment system, without discussing a medical adviser’s supportive report. The Board directed OWCP to review the evidence and decide the…
S.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Cheyenne VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of VA clerk’s stress claim (ECAB 25-0857)
A VA medical clerk attributed distress to a discussion with her supervisor and alleged overwork at several clinics. The Board found her account did not establish a compensable employment factor because the overwork allegation lacked corroboration and the personnel events were not shown to be error…
Douglas A. Evenson v. Antelope Coal Company
Evenson v. Antelope Coal (BRB 25-0021): black lung benefits award affirmed
Douglas Evenson sought black lung benefits after seventeen years of qualifying surface coal mine work. The administrative law judge found a totally disabling respiratory impairment and applied the fifteen year presumption of total disability due to pneumoconiosis. Antelope Coal challenged both the…
Jamie Lynn Stein, successor to Martha Mihalko v. Thorpe Insulation Company, et al.
Stein v. Thorpe Insulation (BRB 24-0250): death benefits barred by third-party settlement
Martha Mihalko sought death benefits for her husband, an asbestos insulator who worked at California shipyards. After her death, daughter Jamie Stein pursued the claim as her successor. Stein had signed a third-party settlement with Pfizer covering the husband's asbestos claims, and the judge found…
Darko Gligorov v. Service Employees International, Incorporated and Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania
Gligorov v. Service Employees International (BRB 24-0169): psychological injury denial returned to judge
Darko Gligorov sought benefits for a psychological condition he attributed to work as a mechanic in Afghanistan. The judge denied benefits after weighing conflicting medical opinions. The Board found that the judge misread an employer-retained expert's opinion: although the expert rejected a PTSD…
Suzanne Quiroz-Greene v. BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, Incorporated, et al.
Quiroz-Greene v. BAE Systems (BRB 24-0048): death benefits barred by third-party settlements
Suzanne Quiroz-Greene sought death benefits after her husband, a shipyard worker, died of lung cancer following alleged asbestos exposure. She also signed releases with four asbestos trusts. The judge found that these were third-party settlements she entered in her own capacity, for less than the…
Barnes v. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Late request to appeal transit ruling denied
Mickeda Barnes sought extra time to appeal summary decision for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in a transit and railroad whistleblower case. Her request came more than four months after the 14-day appeal period expired. The Board held that asking the ALJ to reissue the decision did not…
S.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Tampa Processing and Distribution Center
Board dismisses appeal from 2006 decision as untimely (ECAB 25-0824)
A postal worker appealed a March 20, 2006 OWCP decision on August 12, 2025. The Board applied the one-year appeal limit that governed decisions issued before November 19, 2008. It dismissed the appeal as untimely without reviewing the compensation merits.
S.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Healthcare System
Board dismisses late compensation appeal (ECAB 25-0773)
The employee appealed a January 31, 2025 OWCP decision on August 7, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not resolve the underlying compensation merits.
E.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Houston-Westbury Post Office
Board dismisses late compensation appeal (ECAB 25-0739)
The employee appealed a January 3, 2025 OWCP decision on July 19, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not resolve the underlying compensation merits.
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Boca Raton Post Office
Board dismisses late compensation appeal (ECAB 25-0738)
The employee appealed a July 15, 2024 OWCP decision on July 29, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not resolve the underlying compensation merits.
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Station A Dallas Post Office
Board upholds forfeiture and $97,387 overpayment (ECAB 24-0076)
A postal worker knowingly failed to report employment activity and earnings while receiving compensation. The Board upheld forfeiture for July 2019 through May 2022 and a $97,387.11 overpayment for that period. It also upheld the fault finding, denial of waiver, and recovery through $772.51…
L.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Main Post Office
Board returns post-COVID expansion and disability claims (ECAB 23-0508)
A postal mail handler sought expansion of an accepted COVID-19 claim and wage loss starting in December 2020. OWCP’s referral physician said the medical file was too incomplete to resolve either issue. The Board directed OWCP to obtain a new specialist opinion and decide again.
Secretary of Labor v. Tehachapi Cement, LLC
New-manager filing mistake excused
A recently assigned safety manager believed MSHA's penalty office would forward Tehachapi's contest for 15 penalties to the correct division. While checking another mine, he realized that he had not followed the proper contest procedure. He sent the assessment to counsel the next day, and counsel…
Secretary of Labor v. American Soda, LLC
Unchecked contest box excused
American Soda intended to contest seven citations, but an office assistant failed to check the box for one citation on the submitted contest form. The safety manager discovered the omission and the company filed for reopening two days later. The Secretary did not oppose relief, noting the…
Secretary of Labor v. JW Construction Company, Inc.
Holiday-disruption default reopened
JW Construction's safety director reviewed an assessment after holiday absences and a snow and ice storm but delayed acting on it. His attention was then redirected to an MSHA individual-liability investigation involving a serious nonfatal accident and related interviews. The company filed its…
W.H. and U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Anniston Army Depot
Board dismisses late compensation appeal (ECAB 26-0187)
The employee appealed a May 1, 2025 OWCP decision on December 12, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not decide the underlying compensation claim.
L.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board dismisses late compensation appeal (ECAB 26-0150)
The employee appealed a May 19, 2025 OWCP decision on December 3, 2025. The Board found the appeal came after the 180-day filing period and dismissed it for lack of jurisdiction. The order does not decide the underlying compensation claim.
What these documents are
- The agencies: Federal workers' compensation appeals from the Department of Labor's Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB), federal-sector labor-relations cases from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), mine-safety cases from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC), workplace-safety cases from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), Longshore Act and Black Lung Benefits Act appeals from the Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board (BRB), precedent decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), environmental permit and penalty appeals from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB), and whistleblower and other labor appeals from the Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB). Each decision page names its agency.
- Commission, Board and Authority decisions: Rulings by the agency's highest review level (the Commission at OSHRC and FMSHRC, the Authority at FLRA, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Review Board at Labor, and the Environmental Appeals Board at EPA). These are citable as precedent, though a decision may have been appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals after issuance.
- ALJ decisions: Rulings by the agency's Administrative Law Judges after a hearing. When no Commissioner directs review, an ALJ decision becomes a final order that binds the parties in that case but is not binding precedent: under 29 U.S.C. § 661(j) at OSHRC, and after the 40-day window of 30 U.S.C. § 823(d)(1) at FMSHRC.
- Why finality matters: Every page here says which kind of decision you are reading, so you know whether it is precedent you can cite or a final order that only shows how one judge ruled on one set of facts.
- Where they come from: Every page links the official public release from the deciding agency, and the full text on the page is that release. The plain-English summaries are written by Ezel.