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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P.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Medway, MA
P.D. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1458): Hip arthritis claim sent for medical review
A postal letter carrier attributed hip arthritis to 18 years of physically demanding route work. His physician described how repeated loading and movement could accelerate cartilage loss, supported by the employee’s medical history. The Board found the uncontradicted opinion sufficient to require…
W.M. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
W.M. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-1442): Cervical disc disease claim denied
An Army depot sandblaster attributed cervical disc disease to wearing heavy work headgear. His physician discussed symptoms and work restrictions but did not explain how headgear caused or aggravated the condition. Other records did not provide a qualifying causation opinion. The Board affirmed the…
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Twin Falls, ID
C.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1262): Left shoulder condition claim denied
A postal employee attributed a left shoulder condition to repetitive job motions. Her physician generally supported a work connection but did not explain how the specific duties caused or aggravated it. Therapy notes and an x-ray did not establish causation. The Board affirmed the claim denial.
V.L. and Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Los Angeles Regional Office, Los Angeles, CA
V.L. and Department of Commerce (ECAB 19-0069): Head injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
A Census Bureau field representative claimed a head injury and consequential migraines after an accepted work incident. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to establish the conditions as caused by the incident. Her reconsideration request resubmitted a report already considered and…
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Lafayette Processing & Distribution Facility, Lafayette, LA
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-1565): Medical benefit termination reversed
A postal processing clerk continued treatment after OWCP accepted a right foot sprain. OWCP closed medical benefits after reading a physician’s form as releasing her to work without restrictions, though the form listed restrictions. The Board found that the physician had not ended treatment and…
J.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Ponchatoula, LA
J.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-1010): Injury claim after vehicle accident denied
A postal employee claimed an injury after an accepted work vehicle accident. One physician noted the collision without diagnosing an injury, while another recorded abdominal and pelvic pain but gave no diagnosed condition or reasoned causal explanation. The Board affirmed the claim denial.
H.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Santa Ana, CA
H.D. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0865): Neck claim reopened for merit review
A postal clerk requested reconsideration of a cervical condition claim. His physician submitted a new explanation that years of work accelerated cervical degeneration. The Board found the report relevant and new enough to require merit review, without deciding whether it proved the claim. It set…
Vickie Baxter v. CSA, Limited and Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania
Baxter v. CSA (BRB 19-0401): disputed benefits issues returned to the judge
Vickie Baxter sought benefits for injuries sustained while working as a warehouse supervisor in Kuwait. After a prior Board remand, the judge again canceled a hearing and returned the case to the district director, citing Baxter’s newly raised permanent disability issue and the employer’s potential…
Linda Siria on behalf of George W. Siria v. Island Creek Coal Company
Siria v. Island Creek Coal (BRB 19-0066 BLA): denial of miner's benefits affirmed
George Siria died while his subsequent black lung claim was pending before the judge. His widow Linda pursued the claim on his behalf and appealed the judge's later denial. The judge credited him with 23 years of underground coal mine work but found neither complicated pneumoconiosis nor total…
R.A. and Department of the Air Force, 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, TX
R.A. and Department of the Air Force (ECAB 19-1523): Merit reconsideration request denied
An Air Force maintenance mechanic requested reconsideration of an injury claim decision. He explained why a physician may have recorded an inaccurate account of the original incident, but did not submit new medical evidence resolving causation. The Board found the statement insufficient to reopen…
J.R. and Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, FL
J.R. and Department of the Army (ECAB 19-1321): Heart condition claim returned for corrected medical review
A former Army Corps technician sought to add heart conditions to a long-running accepted injury claim. OWCP did not tell its medical reviewer that the claim included an accepted staph infection, and the record did not show whether he accounted for the accepted mitral valve insufficiency. The Board…
W.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Atlantic City, NJ
W.H. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1302): Spine, hip, and knee claims denied
A postal carrier attributed degenerative spine, hip, and knee conditions to walking, lifting, and carrying mail. His physicians supported a work connection but did not explain how the specific duties caused or aggravated the diagnoses. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient and affirmed…
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Las Vegas Processing & Distribution Center, Las Vegas, NV
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-1169): Disability and reconsideration denials affirmed
A postal mail handler assistant claimed total disability after an accepted work injury. The Board found that the medical evidence did not explain why the injury prevented work during the claimed dates. Later imaging and a physician report did not address those dates and did not require merit…
L.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Francisco, CA
L.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0503): Wage capacity merit review denied
A postal employee sought another review of a wage earning capacity determination. The Board found that the medical reports and work restrictions repeated evidence already considered, while her language ability argument had already been addressed. It affirmed OWCP’s refusal to reopen the merits.
G.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Atlanta, GA
G.W. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 19-0430): Greater right leg schedule award denied
A postal tractor trailer operator sought a larger schedule award for an accepted right knee injury. The Board found that OWCP’s medical adviser applied the impairment guide correctly and selected the diagnosis producing a five percent right leg rating. The competing rating did not properly apply…
N.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Corpus Christi, TX
N.E. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0690): Right shoulder condition claim denied
A postal rural carrier attributed a shoulder condition to repetitive casing and pulling down mail. Her physician supported a work connection but did not explain how those duties caused the diagnosed condition. A shoulder MRI did not resolve medical causation. The Board affirmed the claim denial.
R.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
R.C. and U.S. Postal Service (ECAB 18-0463): Compensation and treatment termination reversed
A postal letter carrier challenged termination of wage loss and medical benefits after an accepted knee injury. OWCP’s physician said he could return to full duty, while his treating physician said he still needed restrictions and treatment. The Board found an unresolved medical opinion conflict…
Troy R. Wimmer v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Wimmer v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 19-0126 BLA): black lung benefits award affirmed
Troy Wimmer received a black lung benefits award after a judge found that his 25.49 years of underground mine work and total respiratory disability triggered the 15-year presumption. Clinchfield Coal challenged the judge's finding that it had failed to rebut that presumption. The Board upheld the…
James R. Faine v. Buck Branch Rebuild & Manufacturing
Faine v. Buck Branch Rebuild (BRB 19-0072 BLA): benefits upheld, start date remanded
James Faine received black lung benefits after a judge found that at least 26 years of underground mine work and total respiratory disability triggered the 15-year presumption. The Board rejected the employer's challenge to the judge's appointment and upheld the finding that the employer had not…
K.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
K.M. (ECAB 19-1483): Spinal condition claim denied
A postal employee attributed a spinal cord condition and partial paraplegia to a November 2018 work incident. One physician initially denied a work connection, then supported one without explaining the medical mechanism, and later called the connection possible. The Board found no reasoned medical…
C.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Moncks Corner, SC
C.H. (ECAB 19-1475): Injury and reconsideration denials affirmed
A postal employee claimed back and other conditions after a May 2018 work incident. Her physician documented symptoms and time away from work but did not explain how the incident caused the diagnosed conditions. Her later reconsideration request added a work absence note and repeated records that…
W.J. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
W.J. (ECAB 19-1438): Bilateral knee condition claim denied
A Federal Aviation Administration employee claimed knee conditions after ascending and descending stairs at work. His physician diagnosed internal derangement and osteoarthritis of both knees but did not adequately explain how the incident caused or aggravated them. The Board found the medical…
J.H. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Buffalo, NY
J.H. (ECAB 19-1435): Left eye condition claim denied
A customs employee claimed a left eye condition after a March 2019 work incident. An ophthalmologist diagnosed retinal detachment and other eye conditions and performed a repair. He linked the detachment to trauma but did not explain how the work incident caused it. The Board affirmed OWCP’s denial…
D.F. and Department of Defense, Education Agency, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
D.F. (ECAB 19-1425): Right ankle condition claim denied
A Defense Department employee claimed a right ankle injury from a January 2018 work incident. A physician attributed an ankle sprain to the incident but did not explain the medical basis for that conclusion, particularly in light of preexisting ankle and foot conditions. The Board found the…
G.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Venice, CA
G.M. (ECAB 19-1395): Late reconsideration ruling sent back for full evidence review
A postal employee asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of a recurrence claim more than one year after the last merit decision. The Board agreed that the request was late. OWCP had not addressed several medical reports, diagnostic studies, and a functional capacity evaluation received before its…
J.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Sarasota, FL
J.G. (ECAB 19-1303): Failed back syndrome added to accepted injury
A postal employee sought to add failed back syndrome to an accepted 2015 spine injury claim. OWCP’s second opinion physician gave a reasoned opinion connecting the condition to the accepted injury, and other physicians supported it. With no opposing medical opinion in the record, the Board found…
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Rockmart Post Office, Rockmart, GA
C.C. (ECAB 19-1062): Medical benefits termination affirmed
A postal employee challenged termination of medical benefits for accepted lumbar and left hip sprains. OWCP’s second opinion physician found that the sprains had resolved and supported that conclusion with examination findings. The later medical evidence did not establish continuing residuals from…
J.R. and Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Service, Mufreesboro, TN
J.R. (ECAB 19-0344): Lyme disease claim denied
An Agriculture Department employee reported tick bites while working outside and later received treatment for Lyme disease. Her physicians documented the diagnosis but did not adequately explain how it resulted from the accepted July 2017 work incident. One physician checked a causation box without…
Weldon Bland v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Bland v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 18-0594 BLA): benefit award remanded for disability findings
Weldon Bland received a black lung benefits award after a judge credited 25.51 years of qualifying coal mine work and found him totally disabled by a respiratory impairment. Clinchfield Coal challenged the disability finding. A Board majority held that the judge had not adequately explained why he…
Yowell v. Fort Worth & Western R.R.
Yowell v. Fort Worth & Western Railroad (DOL ARB 2019-0039): late-reporting retaliation award vacated
Fort Worth & Western Railroad terminated Jeff Yowell after he reported a knee injury about a week after it occurred. The Board agreed that reporting the injury was protected and that termination was adverse, but rejected the ALJ's rule that the events were automatically linked because the report…
Neff v. KeyBank National Association
SOX summary dismissal affirmed
Kimberly Neff worked for KeyBank through a staffing agency and alleged retaliation based on concerns about the bank's policies, controls, and risk standards. The ALJ repeatedly explained that she needed evidence showing a genuine factual dispute, but her opposition to summary decision supplied…
T.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cleveland Heights, OH
T.L. (ECAB 19-1540): Claimed disability period denied
A postal carrier sought compensation for missed work after an accepted 2017 fall. Her physician authorized light duty, and the employer reported alternate work was available. The medical forms addressed knee conditions that were not accepted, and did not explain why the accepted injuries prevented…
V.D. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, New York, NY
V.D. (ECAB 19-0979): Wage loss and medical benefit termination affirmed
A Homeland Security employee challenged termination of benefits after a 2001 accepted injury. The Board found that OWCP had sufficient medical evidence to end wage loss compensation and medical benefits effective December 22, 2011. Later physicians described pain and disability but did not give…
K.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, City of Industry, CA
K.J. (ECAB 19-0886): Right knee occupational claim denied
A postal mail handler attributed right knee arthritis to his work duties. An OWCP second opinion physician linked the arthritis to an earlier meniscectomy and age, rather than work, and the Board gave that opinion the greatest weight. The employee’s supporting reports lacked a detailed medical…
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Oakland Processing & Distribution Center, Oakland, CA
J.D. (ECAB 19-0497): Late emotional condition reconsideration denied
A postal employee sought reconsideration of a 1999 emotional condition claim denial. His 2018 request was late, and his federal court filing did not toll the FECA deadline. A Social Security disability decision and his argument about being at work did not show clear evidence of error in OWCP’s…
L.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Cleveland Processing & Distribution Center, Cleveland, OH
L.D. (ECAB 19-0495): Greater left arm schedule award denied
A postal employee sought an increased schedule award for left upper extremity impairment. Her physician calculated a higher rating using impairment methods the Board found inconsistent with the applicable guide. OWCP’s medical adviser calculated 12 percent using the diagnosis-based method; his…
S.M. and U.S. Postal Service, National Capitol Post Office, Washington, DC
S.M. (ECAB 18-1499): Late reconsideration denial reversed
A postal clerk sought reconsideration of a claim after a person bit his forearm at work. His request was late, but ambulance and witness reports supported that the incident occurred as alleged and raised a substantial question about OWCP’s earlier factual denial. The Board found clear evidence of…
T.F. and U.S. Postal Service, East Cleveland Post Office, Cleveland, OH
T.F. (ECAB 18-0447): Right knee claim expansion denied
A postal carrier sought to add right knee osteoarthritis to an accepted 2005 knee injury claim. Her physicians recorded knee symptoms and arthritis but did not supply a reasoned opinion connecting the additional condition to the accepted work injury. The Board affirmed OWCP’s refusal to expand the…
C.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hawthorne, NJ
C.D. (ECAB 19-1471): Left knee condition claim denied
A postal letter carrier claimed a left knee injury after descending steps at work. Her physician said the incident could cause the condition if her history was accurate, but the Board found that opinion speculative and insufficiently reasoned. The Board affirmed the claim denial.
M.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Fort Dearborn, IL
M.P. (ECAB 19-1364): Vocational rehabilitation sanction affirmed
A postal carrier challenged a reduction of wage loss compensation for failing to cooperate with vocational rehabilitation. The Board credited a second opinion physician’s explanation that she gave minimal effort during functional capacity evaluations. Her later election of retirement benefits did…
H.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Brooklyn, NY
H.L. (ECAB 19-1326): Lumbar condition claim denied
A postal mail handler claimed that lifting mail buckets in July 2018 aggravated an earlier accepted back injury. Physicians documented lumbar symptoms and diagnoses. One linked them to the 2018 incident, but did not explain the medical basis for that opinion. The Board affirmed the denial for lack…
D.M. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Teterboro, NJ
D.M. (ECAB 19-1311): Overpayment recovery affirmed
A Federal Aviation Administration employee received a $16,327.55 compensation overpayment. The Board found him without fault but upheld OWCP’s denial of a waiver based on his financial information. It also upheld recovery through deductions from continuing compensation. The published decision gives…
D.T. and Department of Defense, Defense Contract Management Agency, Redondo Beach, CA
D.T. (ECAB 19-1270): Emotional condition claim denied
A Defense Department computer engineer attributed an emotional condition to overwork, inadequate training, and lack of a mentor. The Board found that he had not submitted factual evidence substantiating the claimed overwork or training deficiencies. Without an established compensable work factor…
D.W. and Department of Agriculture, Food Safety & Inspection Service, Sioux Falls, SD
D.W. (ECAB 19-1015): Overpayment recovery affirmed
An Agriculture Department employee received a $6,420.65 compensation overpayment and was found without fault. The Board upheld OWCP’s denial of a waiver based on his financial information. It also approved recovery by deducting $150 from continuing compensation every 28 days.
T.H. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Command, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
T.H. (ECAB 19-0992): Disability and reconsideration denials affirmed
An Army employee claimed total disability for September 2 through 17, 2018 after an accepted injury. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to tie that period of disability to the injury. His reconsideration request repeated records or added reports that did not address those dates. The…
G.I. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Memphis, TN
G.I. (ECAB 19-0942): Nurse understaffing claim returned for fact development
A VA nurse attributed an emotional condition partly to overwork from chronic understaffing. She submitted staffing directives, emails, and a coworker statement, while the employer gave only a general response to OWCP’s questions. The Board found the record insufficient to decide whether her work…
Secretary of Labor v. GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance, Inc.
Safeguard citation vacated
A hook clevis broke while GMS Mine Repair employees were using a mule to move a longwall shield at Bailey Mine, sending the hook 33 feet through the air and striking a miner. MSHA cited GMS under a 2006 safeguard that had been issued in writing to mine owner Consol after a different chain failure…
B.B. and Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration, Vincennes, IN
B.B. (ECAB 19-1491): Hearing loss schedule award denied
A mine safety inspector sought a schedule award for hearing loss from workplace noise. A second opinion physician found work related hearing loss, but the measured loss did not reach a ratable level under the applicable impairment guide. The Board affirmed OWCP’s award denial.
D.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Oak Brook Post Office, Oak Brook, IL
D.L. (ECAB 19-1463): Merit reconsideration denied
A postal carrier sought reconsideration of a back injury claim denied because she had not adequately described the work incident. Her later certification and medical reports did not supply the missing firsthand incident details. The Board affirmed OWCP’s refusal to reopen the merits.
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, West Sacramento, CA
M.C. (ECAB 19-1428): Thumb schedule award sent back for recalculation
A postal mail handler sought a schedule award after an accepted right thumb fracture. The medical adviser rated impairment by diagnosis but did not also calculate a range of motion rating, although the guide allowed both methods for a finger fracture. The Board set aside the decision and ordered…
T.W. and Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving & Printing, Washington, DC
T.W. (ECAB 19-1412): Right shoulder condition claim denied
A Treasury employee claimed a shoulder injury after moving currency at work. Physicians diagnosed shoulder and related conditions, but the Board found their reports insufficient to explain how the accepted incident caused the claimed right shoulder condition. It affirmed OWCP’s denial.
J.D. and Department of Veterans Affairs, West Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
J.D. (ECAB 19-1207): Left leg schedule award denied
A VA health technician sought a schedule award after an accepted left knee sprain. Her physician attributed symptoms to osteoarthritis, a condition not accepted as work related, and did not provide a ratable impairment assessment for the accepted sprain. The Board affirmed the award denial.
S.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Harker Heights Post Office, Harker Heights, TX
S.D. (ECAB 19-0955): Disability recurrence claim denied
A postal clerk claimed renewed disability beginning March 28, 2018 after accepted right ankle and foot sprains. The record did not show that her light duty job changed or was withdrawn. The medical evidence also did not establish a worsening of the accepted conditions that prevented work. The Board…
E.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Reseda Post Office, Reseda, CA
E.R. (ECAB 19-0889): Medical condition recurrence claim denied
A postal carrier sought to establish a recurrence of a medical condition after an accepted 2015 injury. The Board had already rejected earlier evidence in a prior appeal, and the later medical reports did not establish the claimed recurrence from September 2016 onward. It affirmed the denial.
R.C. and Department of the Air Force, National Guard Bureau, Mansfield, OH
R.C. (ECAB 19-0845): Social Security offset overpayment recovery affirmed
An Air Force employee received a $4,930.86 FECA overpayment because Social Security retirement benefits were paid without the required offset. The Board found him without fault but upheld denial of a waiver based on his assets. It also upheld recovery through $300 deductions from continuing…
Bremerton Metal Trades Council and United States Department of the Navy, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility
Bremerton Metal Trades Council and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (FLRA 0-AR-5487): Compensatory-time ruling upheld
Shipyard employees sought compensatory time for Sunday overtime that the Navy scheduled during the preceding administrative workweek. An arbitrator found that the agreement's overtime-notice provision controlled instead of its general shift-change provisions. He also found that the work was not…
Matter of J.J. RODRIGUEZ Rodriguez
Matter of J.J. RODRIGUEZ (BIA ID 3975): in absentia hearing required after sufficient notice
The Board reviewed the Department of Homeland Security's appeal after an Immigration Judge terminated removal proceedings involving a Honduran respondent who had been returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols. The respondent had been personally served with a notice to appear and…
Wanda C. Phillips v. Sea B Mining Company
Phillips v. Sea B Mining (BRB 19-0166 BLA): survivor benefit denial affirmed
Wanda Phillips sought survivor benefits after the death of her husband Robert, who had 19.24 years of coal mine work. The judge found that an autopsy established clinical pneumoconiosis but that the evidence did not establish a totally disabling respiratory impairment or show that pneumoconiosis…
Johnny Doyle Mowery v. Gem Stone Coal, Incorporated
Mowery v. Gem Stone Coal (BRB 19-0135 BLA): benefit award and employer liability affirmed
Johnny Mowery received a black lung benefits award after a judge accepted 21 years of underground mine work, found total respiratory disability, and applied the 15-year presumption. Gem Stone Coal disputed both its responsibility for payment and the finding that it had failed to rebut the…
Rudy J. Burkhart on behalf of Lloyd Burkhart v. Manalapan Mining Company, Incorporated
Burkhart v. Manalapan Mining (BRB 19-0105 and 19-0270 BLA): miner and survivor benefits affirmed
Rudy Burkhart pursued her late husband Lloyd's black lung claim and her own survivor claim. A judge credited Lloyd with 17.38 years of underground mine work, found total respiratory disability, and awarded miner benefits under the 15-year presumption. The judge also awarded Rudy derivative survivor…
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.