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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Micah Ramsey v. Ports America Gulfport, Incorporated
Ramsey v. Ports America Gulfport (BRB 19-0538): independent examination cost order affirmed
Micah Ramsey requested an independent medical examination while his Longshore Act injury claim was pending. A claims examiner scheduled the examination with Dr. George Murphy and ordered Ports America Gulfport to pay $1,500. The employer objected because Dr. Murphy had relatives working in the…
Randall Harper v. Temco, LLC
Harper v. Temco (BRB 19-0514): mailed reconsideration motion was timely
After Randall Harper and Temco settled a Longshore Act claim, the administrative law judge awarded Harper’s lawyer an attorney fee. Harper mailed a motion asking the judge to reconsider the fee order on the due date, but the judge received it four days later and rejected it as late. The Board held…
Linda Phelps v. B R & D Enterprises Incorporated
Phelps v. B R & D Enterprises (BRB 19-0246 BLA): survivor benefits denial affirmed
Linda Phelps appealed the denial of survivor benefits after the death of her husband, a coal miner. The Board upheld the judge's finding that the evidence did not establish complicated pneumoconiosis or a totally disabling respiratory impairment, so Phelps could not use either statutory presumption…
Vera M. Abston v. Abston Construction Company, Incorporated
Abston v. Abston Construction (BRB 19-0211 BLA): survivor benefits award affirmed
Vera Abston received survivor benefits after an administrative law judge found that her late husband had at least thirty-three and one-half years of qualifying surface coal mine work and a totally disabling respiratory impairment. These findings triggered a presumption that pneumoconiosis caused…
Sina E. Huff v. Shamrock Coal Company, Incorporated
Huff v. Shamrock Coal (BRB 19-0160 and 19-0167 BLA): both benefits awards vacated for further findings
Sina Huff pursued her late husband's black lung claim and her own survivor claim after a judge awarded benefits on both. The Board agreed that the miner had at least fifteen years of coal mine employment but found that the judge had not explained whether enough of that work met the conditions for…
Jerome H. DeMoss v. Island Creek Coal Company
DeMoss v. Island Creek Coal (BRB 19-0107 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Jerome DeMoss received black lung benefits after an administrative law judge found that coal dust contributed to his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and his total respiratory disability. Because the judge credited only ten years of underground coal mine work, she decided the claim without the…
Lillie M. Hall v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Hall v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 19-0080 BLA): survivor benefits denial reversed
Lillie Hall appealed a second denial of survivor benefits after a judge found that Clinchfield Coal had rebutted the presumption that pneumoconiosis caused her husband's death. The Board upheld the judge's finding that the miner had been totally disabled at the time of death, so the presumption…
L.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Kansas City Network Distribution Center, Kansas City, KS
L.T. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1902): Occupational disease claim denied for missing work details
A postal distributor claimed leg, foot, and back conditions related to her work but did not identify the specific duties or exposures she believed caused them. She did not respond to OWCP’s request for those details. The Board found that the factual basis for the claim had not been established. It…
V.J. and Social Security Administration, Atlanta, GA
V.J. and Social Security Administration (ECAB 19-1789): Sacroiliac condition schedule award denied
A Social Security specialist sought a schedule award after an accepted back and sacroiliac injury and later joint surgery. Her physician assigned an impairment percentage for the sacroiliac joint. The Board found that this rating did not establish permanent impairment of a scheduled body member…
J.M. and Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service, Double Springs, AL
J.M. and National Forest Service (ECAB 19-1724): Back claim remanded for missing related file
A forestry technician claimed back pain after driving a tractor and carrying a herbicide sprayer during work. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim after referring to medical evidence in his separate traumatic injury file. That evidence was absent from the file sent to the Board. The Board…
R.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Middlesex Essex Plant, North Reading, MA
R.P. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1601): Higher left arm impairment award denied
A mail handler sought a higher schedule award after an accepted left hand crushing injury and related wrist conditions. OWCP had awarded 10 percent permanent left arm impairment. The Board found that the worker’s medical evaluations did not establish a higher rating under the applicable impairment…
J.S. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Fort Myers, FL
J.S. and Transportation Security Administration (ECAB 19-1384): Retirement offset overpayment remanded
A transportation security officer received FECA compensation and Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP calculated a $33,823.43 overpayment and found him at fault. The Board found that two Social Security worksheets listed substantially different amounts for the same period, making the…
T.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Orange, VA
T.T. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-1054): Knee injury wage loss denial upheld
A postal carrier sought wage loss compensation after an accepted knee injury from a fall on ice. The Board found that her medical reports did not adequately connect the claimed months away from work to the accepted condition. Later impairment reports did not address disability during that period…
Social Security Administration, Office of Hearings Operations and Association of Administrative Law Judges, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
SSA Office of Hearings Operations and AALJ (FLRA 0-AR-5543): Telework remedies vacated
The Social Security Administration denied an administrative law judge's telework request because the judge planned to schedule fewer than fifty hearings per month. An arbitrator found that the agency failed to make the individualized assessment required by the parties' agreement and ordered…
Greater Lawrence Sanitary District
In re Greater Lawrence Sanitary District (EAB NPDES Appeal No. 19-05): petition dismissed after negotiated resolution
Greater Lawrence Sanitary District petitioned the Environmental Appeals Board to review an NPDES permit issued by EPA Region 1 for discharges from its wastewater treatment facility to the Merrimack River in Massachusetts. The Board stayed the matter while the parties pursued settlement discussions…
S.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Pittsburgh, PA
S.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1737): Schedule award review returned for omitted physician response
A mail handler received a schedule award for one percent permanent impairment of his right upper extremity. His physician responded to an OWCP medical adviser’s lower impairment rating before OWCP ruled on the appeal. The hearing representative did not acknowledge or discuss that response. The…
K.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Weikert, PA
K.T. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1718): Additional thumb and shoulder conditions denied
A postal employee fell over a chair at work, and OWCP accepted a right shoulder contusion. She sought to add a shoulder separation, thumb sprain, and shoulder sprain or strain. The Board found that the reports either lacked a reasoned causal explanation or offered a speculative diagnosis. It upheld…
M.B. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, WA
M.B. and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ECAB 19-1655): Additional conditions excluded from accepted knee claim
A power plant operator fell at work, and OWCP accepted a right knee contusion and meniscus tear. He sought to add other conditions, including back and leg problems, to the claim. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately explain how the work injury or accepted knee conditions…
F.F. and U.S. Postal Service, La Sierra Post Office, Riverside, CA
F.F. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1630): Life insurance overpayment finding reversed
A former postal clerk received workers’ compensation while life insurance premiums were deducted from his payments. OWCP concluded that improperly deducted premiums had created a $22,124.51 overpayment and ordered recovery. The Board found that the record did not establish the retroactive insurance…
C.B., widow of S.B., and Department of Veterans Affairs, Wainwright Memorial Medical Center, Walla Walla, WA
C.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1629): Death benefits denial affirmed for lack of medical link
The widow of a medical center employee sought benefits after his death. OWCP had accepted a work-related back injury and postlaminectomy syndrome, while the death certificate listed a myocardial infarction. The Board found that the physician’s checked form and treatment reports did not adequately…
R.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Gilroy, CA
R.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1386): Reconsideration denial returned for missing reasons
A rural carrier sought reconsideration of her denied claim for disability after a work-related vehicle collision. She submitted new medical and diagnostic reports with her request. OWCP refused to reopen the case without discussing those reports. The Board held that OWCP had to address the evidence…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Greensboro, NC
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1086): Left ankle claim returned for review with earlier file
A mail handler claimed a left ankle injury from standing on concrete floors at work. OWCP denied the claim after she did not answer a questionnaire about the work factors. The Board found that OWCP had already accepted several related left lower extremity conditions in another file. It ordered OWCP…
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Lincoln Post Office, Lincoln, CA
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1836): Late reconsideration ruling partly upheld and returned
A rural carrier sought reconsideration of a left knee claim and asked to add diagnosed conditions. OWCP treated the request as untimely and found no clear evidence of error. The Board left part of that ruling in place but found that OWCP had not addressed several timely submitted medical reports…
J.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Patrol, Glynco, GA
J.A. and Customs & Border Patrol (ECAB 19-1817): Reconsideration refusal upheld after knee claim denial
A border patrol officer claimed a knee injury during mandatory wrestling training. After OWCP denied the claim, he requested reconsideration and argued that OWCP had used an incorrect address. The Board found that this argument did not address the medical diagnosis issue underlying the denial and…
J.T. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution Texarkana, Texarkana, TX
J.T. and Bureau of Prisons (ECAB 19-1751): Emotional condition claim denied for missing work details
A prison cook foreman attributed an emotional condition to daily interactions with inmates. OWCP asked him to identify the specific work incidents or factors underlying the claim, but he did not respond. The Board held that the factual basis for the claim had not been established. It affirmed the…
Y.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
Y.D. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1200): Shoulder and wrist injury claim returned for medical development
A city carrier reported left shoulder and right wrist injuries after lifting a mailbag from a relay box. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that a physician’s later reports gave a detailed explanation linking the conditions to the work incident, although they did not fully establish the claim…
K.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Healthcare Systems, Tucson, AZ
K.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-0679): Recurrence and medical appointment wage loss denials affirmed
A registered nurse sought wage loss compensation for a recurrence of disability related to accepted lumbar conditions and for time spent at a medical appointment. The Board found insufficient evidence that her accepted conditions caused total disability beginning May 19, 2016. It also found no…
F.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Houston, TX
F.G. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0764): Wage loss denial affirmed for missing causal evidence
A mail handler sought wage loss compensation after an accepted injury from lifting mail. Her physician reported that she could not work, but the Board found that the reports did not sufficiently explain why the accepted injury disabled her during the claimed period. It upheld OWCP’s denial of…
United States Department of Labor and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 12
Department of Labor and AFGE Local 12 (FLRA 0-AR-5582): Authority lacks jurisdiction over removal dispute
The Department of Labor asked the Authority to review an arbitrator's procedural ruling in a grievance involving an employee's removal. The agency argued that the timeliness issue under the parties' agreement was separate from the removal claim. The Authority held that the procedural-arbitrability…
National Association of Independent Labor, Local 5 and United States Department of Defense, Defense Finance and Accounting
NAIL Local 5 and Defense Finance and Accounting (FLRA 0-AR-5488): Two-day suspension upheld
An employee repeatedly exhausted her sick leave and then sought annual leave or leave without pay for unscheduled absences. After warning that future absences beyond available sick leave would be charged as absent without leave, the agency imposed a two-day suspension. The arbitrator found that the…
T.H. and Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD
T.H. and Social Security Administration (ECAB 19-1891): Shoulder injury claim denied for missing diagnosis
An information technology manager reported right arm and shoulder pain after slipping on ice while walking into work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found that the medical evidence described pain and possible rotator cuff pathology but did not provide a firm diagnosis with a…
H.E. and Department of Veterans Affairs, New York Regional Office, New York, NY
H.E. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1824): Reconsideration refusal upheld for lack of new evidence
A veterans’ service representative claimed neck and tailbone injuries after falling when a chair slipped. After OWCP denied the claim, he sought reconsideration. The Board found that his request offered no new relevant argument or supporting evidence and did not show a legal error. It upheld OWCP’s…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Warren Post Office, Warren, MI
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1774): Lumbar occupational disease claim denied
A city letter carrier attributed lumbar spine conditions to lifting, bending, and moving mail at work. The Board found that his physician’s reports did not give a sufficiently reasoned medical explanation connecting the conditions to the accepted work factors. It upheld OWCP’s denial of the…
D.F. and Department of the Interior, Colorado River Agency, Parker, AZ
D.F. and Colorado River Agency (ECAB 19-1759): Foot injury claim reopened for merit review
A maintenance mechanic reported stepping on a nail while working around debris, but OWCP disputed whether the incident occurred as alleged. He later submitted new narrative statements, including one from his father, with his reconsideration request. The Board found that the new factual evidence was…
C.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Alpharetta, GA
C.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1639): Earlier schedule award start date rejected
A postal worker received an 11 percent right upper extremity impairment award. She argued that the award should begin on June 13, 2017 rather than August 12, 2018. The Board found that the earlier visit did not establish maximum medical improvement, while the later date was supported by a…
E.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Mesa, AZ
E.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-1312): Foot condition claim returned for further medical review
A mail carrier attributed a right foot callus and ulcer to prolonged walking and carrying mail at work. The ulcer became infected, and the record describes an eventual amputation. OWCP denied the claim, but the Board found that the treating podiatrists’ reports gave enough support for further…
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals and National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 212
Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals and NTEU Chapter 212 (FLRA 0-AR-5417): Fourth telework day upheld
Two attorney-advisors requested a fourth weekly telework day after the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals announced an office-sharing plan. An arbitrator found no objective evidence that the additional day would harm the agency's mission and ruled that the denials were arbitrary under the…
Freedom Performance, LLC
In re Freedom Performance, LLC (EAB CAA Appeal No. 20-(01)): penalty order becomes final without EAB review
Administrative Law Judge Susan L. Biro issued an Initial Decision and Penalty Order in the proceeding against Freedom Performance, LLC. The Board's order states that no appeal was filed and that the Environmental Appeals Board declined to review the case on its own initiative. The Initial Decision…
K.W. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service, Chicago, IL
K.W. and Federal Air Marshal Service (ECAB 19-1808): Late reconsideration denial returned for missing medical analysis
A federal air marshal sought reconsideration of an injury claim arising from self-defense training. OWCP treated the request as untimely and found no clear evidence of error. The Board found that OWCP had not discussed newly submitted medical evidence or explained its conclusion. It returned the…
M.M. and Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH
M.M. and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (ECAB 19-1782): Life insurance overpayment finding reversed
A former shipyard mechanic received compensation after an accepted knee injury. OWCP later asserted that life insurance premiums had been underwithheld, creating a $13,688.05 overpayment. The Board found that OWCP had not established the required insurance election and resulting debt on the record…
E.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Antonio, TX
E.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1569): Greater arm impairment awards denied
A postal employee sought greater schedule awards than the 11 percent right arm and 6 percent left arm impairment ratings already paid. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish additional permanent impairment under the applicable rating method. It upheld OWCP’s decision.
V.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Trenton, NJ
V.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1135): Knee impairment award returned for corrected medical facts
A postal worker sought a schedule award for permanent impairment of both legs after accepted knee injuries and replacement surgeries. OWCP relied on an impartial medical examiner who reviewed an outdated statement of accepted facts. That statement omitted later accepted knee conditions and…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Hope Mills Post Office, Hope Mills, NC
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1131): Recurrence of disability claim denied
A letter carrier sought compensation for a recurrence of disability beginning March 18, 2018 after an accepted employment injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not adequately connect the new period of disability to the accepted injury. It upheld OWCP’s denial.
C.H. and Department of the Army, Human Resources Command Army Benefits Center, Presidio of Monterey, CA
C.H. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-0895): Knee claim returned for combined file review
An Army human resources specialist claimed a right knee injury after falling as he left work. OWCP denied the new claim, while another file contained an accepted earlier knee injury and recurrence claim. The Board found that the related files had not been combined, even though their evidence…
Y.K. and Department of Homeland Security, Citizen & Immigration Services, Laguna Niguel, CA
Y.K. and Citizenship and Immigration Services (ECAB 18-1167): Injury denial and reconsideration refusal affirmed
An immigration officer claimed injury after a dog attacked her at work. The Board found that the medical evidence did not establish a diagnosed injury from the accepted incident. It also found that her reconsideration request did not satisfy the requirements to reopen the merits. It upheld both…
M.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Antonio, TX
M.N. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0741): Disability compensation denial affirmed
A postal distribution clerk sought wage loss compensation for two periods after an accepted 2009 work injury. The Board found that the medical reports did not sufficiently explain how that injury caused disability during the claimed periods. It upheld OWCP’s denial.
United States Small Business Administration and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 288
Small Business Administration and AFGE Local 288 (FLRA 0-AR-5502): Reduced suspension set aside
The Small Business Administration suspended a senior loan specialist for fourteen days after three sustained instances of disrespectful workplace conduct. An arbitrator reduced the penalty to five days after giving little weight to a prior suspension that had been dismissed as untimely when…
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Miami, Florida (Agency) and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3960, Council of Prison Locals, C-33 (Union)
FCI Miami and AFGE Local 3960 (FLRA 0-AR-5420): Augmentation arbitration award vacated
Federal Correctional Institution Miami began assigning employees from non-custody departments to fill vacant custody posts, a practice called augmentation. AFGE Local 3960 grieved the change, and an arbitrator found that the prison had breached an unwritten practice of avoiding augmentation and…
S.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Brooklyn, NY
S.J. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 20-0157): Right hip sprain claim denied
A mail handler reported groin pain after moving a loaded postal container at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found that the medical reports did not adequately establish a right hip sprain caused by that incident. It upheld the denial of the injury claim.
K.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, NY
K.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1906): Right shoulder injury claim denied
A cemetery caretaker reported shoulder pain while tamping dirt near a headstone at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred. The Board found that the medical reports did not establish a diagnosed shoulder condition with a reasoned explanation connecting it to the incident. It upheld the claim…
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Clementon, NJ
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1882): Abandoned hearing determination upheld
A mail carrier requested an oral hearing after OWCP denied his left knee injury claim. OWCP scheduled a video hearing, but he did not attend or explain his absence within the required time. The Board found that the notice and missed appearance supported treating the request as abandoned. It upheld…
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service, New City Post Office, New City, NY
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1814): Right shoulder occupational disease claim denied
A letter carrier attributed right shoulder conditions to repeated lifting, pushing, grabbing, and loading at work. The Board found that some medical reports did not discuss causation and that the remaining opinions did not adequately explain a causal connection to the accepted work factors. It…
S.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Oscar G. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Iron Mountain, MI
S.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs (ECAB 19-1803): Additional injury conditions rejected
A medical center motor vehicle operator sought to add diagnosed conditions to an accepted 2015 work injury claim. The Board found that the later medical reports did not adequately explain how the accepted incident caused or aggravated the additional conditions. It upheld OWCP’s refusal to expand…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellingham, MA
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1567): Greater left hand impairment award denied
A letter carrier sought an increase above the 10 percent permanent impairment award already paid for his left hand. After reviewing the medical ratings, the Board found that the evidence did not establish greater impairment. It upheld OWCP’s decision.
D.C. and Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport, WA
D.C. and Department of the Navy (ECAB 18-0820): Noise exposure accepted; hearing loss causation remanded
A retired Navy electrical engineer attributed bilateral hearing loss to noise at several duty stations over decades of work. OWCP denied the claim. The Board accepted the reported workplace noise exposure as factual and remanded for OWCP to evaluate whether the medical evidence linked it to the…
Cooper/T. Smith Corporation d/b/a Blakeley Boatworks, Inc.
Shipyard fall citation affirmed after misconduct defense rejected
A Blakeley Boatworks supervisor and fitter replaced part of a ladder inside a barge tank while working more than five feet above the floor without fall protection. The supervisor fell eight to nine feet and was hospitalized with multiple serious injuries. The parties agreed that OSHA proved the…
Secretary of Labor v. The Harrison County Coal Company
Settlement approved for 101-citation docket
The Harrison County Coal Company and the Secretary proposed resolving a 101-citation penalty docket while the operator's parent company was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Secretary vacated three citations, reduced the negligence finding for Citation No. 9186420 from moderate to low, and reduced the…
Secretary of Labor v. Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.
Penalty reduced to $17,300 after remand
Sunbelt Rentals was cited after a nonfatal accident for failing to examine a work area and promptly correct a falling-material hazard at Roanoke Cement Company. An earlier ALJ decision found the violation significant and substantial, attributed it to high negligence, and assessed $23,750. A divided…
Matter of J-J-G-
Cancellation denied for insufficient hardship
The Board reviewed a Guatemalan respondent's appeal after an Immigration Judge denied cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection. The Board held that hardship for cancellation must be assessed cumulatively, but a medical-hardship claim…
Thomas C. Culbertson v. Trojan Mining & Processing Company
Culbertson v. Trojan Mining (BRB 19-0226 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Thomas Culbertson received black lung benefits after an administrative law judge found that coal dust contributed to his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and resulting total respiratory disability. The judge credited 12.39 years of underground coal mine work, so the fifteen-year statutory…
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.