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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Charles T. Thrush v. Hobet Mining Incorporated
Thrush v. Hobet Mining (BRB 25-0060): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
Charles Thrush sought black lung benefits in a claim involving Hobet Mining and its former parent company. Following a federal appeals court ruling on insurer liability, the Board dismissed Hobet and the parent company from payment responsibility. The Director of the Office of Workers' Compensation…
M.P. and Department of the Army, Headquarters, 7th U.S. Army Training Command
Army employee's appeal dismissed for lack of an adverse decision (ECAB 26-0492)
An Army employee appealed what he described as an April 2026 OWCP decision. The Board found that the April document was a letter requesting evidence on a possible additional condition, rather than a final adverse decision. A recent OWCP decision had added conditions to his accepted claim, so it…
J.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Middlebury Annex
Postal carrier's knee claim returned for specialist review (ECAB 26-0462)
A postal carrier reported a right knee injury after twisting while sorting mail. OWCP denied her injury claim. The Board found that her physician's explanation linking diagnosed knee conditions to the twisting motion was not enough to prove causation, but warranted further medical development. It…
D.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Delaware Processing & Distribution Center
Postal worker's compensation forfeiture and overpayment upheld (ECAB 26-0453)
A postal worker receiving wage loss compensation answered that she had not worked for another employer on required disclosure forms. Payroll records showed that she was also employed as a cashier at a home improvement company during the covered period. The Board upheld OWCP's finding that she…
J.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Denver Post Office
Postal carrier's later wage loss claim denied for insufficient medical proof (ECAB 26-0433)
A rural postal carrier had accepted injuries from a work vehicle accident and received compensation during an earlier period. She sought wage loss compensation for disability starting in December 2021. The Board found that the medical reports did not sufficiently establish that the accepted injury…
D.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Killen Post Office
Postal carrier's back injury claim denied without a firm diagnosis (ECAB 26-0491)
A postal carrier reported back symptoms after bending to lift a box at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied her injury claim. The Board found that the emergency physician recorded symptoms without a firm medical diagnosis connected to the incident. An unsigned work absence note…
J.T. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
IRS worker's wage loss suspension upheld (ECAB 26-0488)
An IRS employee received wage loss compensation for accepted injuries from a work vehicle accident. OWCP mailed her a financial disclosure form and warned that benefits would be suspended if she did not complete it within 30 days. The Board found that OWCP mailed the notice to her address of record…
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Grifton Post Office
Postal carrier's disability claim returned for work restriction review (ECAB 26-0444)
A rural postal carrier with an accepted cervical condition claimed that she became totally disabled after a period of light duty. OWCP denied the claimed recurrence. The Board found that its second opinion physician had described lifting and other limits but had not addressed whether she could…
S.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Boggs Road Post Office
Postal worker's compensation pay rate returned for explanation (ECAB 26-0271)
A postal worker receiving compensation after a hand injury asked OWCP to recalculate her pay rate using a later period of disability. OWCP denied the request without identifying the evidence it considered or explaining the calculation. The Board found that the brief denial did not provide the…
Matter of Leticia Cornejo-Aguilar
Cancellation of removal denied in discretion
A longtime lawful permanent resident appealed the denial of cancellation of removal. The Board upheld the Immigration Judge's finding that her testimony about her criminal history and the circumstances of her grandson's death was not credible in light of the documentary record. It acknowledged her…
S.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Louisville Post Office
Postal carrier's occupational disease claim returned for medical review (ECAB 26-0452)
A rural postal carrier claimed that repetitive lifting, carrying, and standing at work aggravated a lumbar condition and caused pain in her hip and leg. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim, finding that the medical evidence did not establish a causal link to her work. Her orthopedic surgeon…
A.T. and Department of the Air Force, Tinker Air Force Base
Air Force worker's impairment claim returned for a new rating (ECAB 26-0447)
An Air Force inventory specialist had accepted work-related allergic conditions and received a schedule award for one percent impairment of the larynx. He sought a larger award. The Board found that neither his physician nor OWCP's medical adviser identified a scheduled body member or function that…
M.C. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Quantico Fire & Emergency Services
Firefighter's head injury denial reversed and claim returned (ECAB 26-0417)
A Marine Corps firefighter was struck on the head by a fire hose coupling during an accepted work incident. OWCP denied his injury claim. The Board found that a promptly reported, visibly observed swelling on his forehead and skull established an injury. It also found that the record established a…
R.L. and Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir
Defense agency worker's ankle claim returned because the record was incomplete (ECAB 24-0468)
A Defense Logistics Agency employee appealed OWCP's rescission of acceptance of a left ankle sprain claim. The Board found that OWCP had not sent the complete case record despite an earlier order to do so. Without that record, the Board could not decide the merits of the rescission. It set aside…
Shirley Massey (on behalf of Gary Massey) v. Catenary Coal Company
Massey v. Catenary Coal (BRB 25-0320): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
Shirley Massey pursued a black lung claim on behalf of Gary Massey involving Catenary Coal Company and its former parent company's insurance. Following a federal appeals court ruling on liability, the Board dismissed the employer and insurer from the case. The Director of the Office of Workers'…
P.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Detroit Vehicle Maintenance Facility
Postal employee's ankle injury denial upheld (ECAB 26-0473)
A postal motor vehicle operator reported falling in a worksite restroom and injuring her left ankle. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim. The Board found that her physician diagnosed an ankle fracture without explaining its cause. It affirmed the denial because the medical…
S.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Detroit Processing & Distribution Center
Postal worker's appeal withdrawn and dismissed (ECAB 26-0472)
A postal worker appealed an April 20, 2026 OWCP decision. Her counsel later asked the Board to withdraw the appeal. The Board granted the request and dismissed the case without deciding whether OWCP was correct.
L.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Santa Clarita Post Office
Postal carrier's knee injury denial reversed (ECAB 26-0450)
A postal carrier reported that her knee popped as she slipped while stepping from her work vehicle. OWCP denied that the work incident was established. The Board found the incident occurred as alleged, citing her prompt treatment and the supervisor's acknowledgment. It reversed the denial and…
D.C. and U.S. Postal Service, WT Harris Post Office
Postal carrier's later disability claim denied (ECAB 26-0255)
A postal rural carrier had an accepted 2018 back injury and later sought compensation for inability to work beginning in December 2024. Her physician discussed continuing symptoms and degenerative conditions. The Board found that the reports did not explain how the accepted 2018 injury caused the…
United States Railroad Retirement Board and American Federation of Government Employees, Local 375
Railroad Retirement Board and AFGE Local 375 (FLRA 0-AR-5999): Authority strikes remote-work remedy
An arbitrator found that the Railroad Retirement Board violated its collective-bargaining agreement and a career-ladder memorandum by denying an employee a GS-12 promotion. The award ordered a retroactive promotion with backpay and also provided that the employee could continue working remotely…
Rodney W. Grimes v. Cumberland Contura, LLC
Grimes v. Cumberland Contura (BRB 25-0264): Benefits denial returned for disability analysis
Rodney Grimes sought black lung benefits after 43 years of qualifying coal mine work. The administrative law judge found legal pneumoconiosis but denied benefits because he found no total respiratory disability. Grimes challenged the judge's weighing of blood gas studies and medical opinions. The…
Billy R. Midkiff v. Southern Ohio Coal Company
Midkiff v. Southern Ohio Coal (BRB 25-0242): Black lung benefits award affirmed
Billy Midkiff sought black lung benefits after more than 17 years of underground coal mine work. After an earlier remand, the administrative law judge found him totally disabled, applied the 15-year presumption, and awarded benefits. Southern Ohio Coal and its carrier challenged the finding that…
Estate of Mike Ooten, Jr. v. Hobet Mining, Incorporated
Estate of Ooten v. Hobet Mining (BRB 24-0373): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
The estate of Mike Ooten, Jr. pursued a black lung benefits claim involving Hobet Mining and its former parent company's insurance. Following a federal appeals court ruling on liability, the Board dismissed Hobet and the parent company from payment responsibility. The Director of the Office of…
A.H. and U.S. Postal Service, De Soto Post Office
Postal carrier's ankle impairment award unchanged (ECAB 26-0483)
A postal rural carrier had an accepted right ankle sprain after slipping on ice and received a schedule award for two percent right leg impairment. She sought a larger award. The Board reviewed the impairment evidence and found that it did not establish more than the two percent already awarded. It…
G.R. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Prison employee's joint claim returned for impartial examination (ECAB 26-0464)
A federal prison employee claimed that repetitive correctional duties caused or aggravated osteoarthritis in both hips and knees. His physician attributed the condition to repeated walking, climbing, bending, and other physical duties. OWCP's second opinion physician disagreed. The Board found a…
S.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Lanham Seabrook Post Office
Postal worker's injury claim denied for lack of physician diagnosis (ECAB 26-0449)
A postal worker sought benefits after an accepted July 2025 work incident. Two doctors documented treatment or time away from work but supplied no medical diagnosis linked to the incident. A physician assistant identified tenosynovitis, but the Board held that this report could not establish a…
R.M. and Department of the Navy, Military Sealift Command
Mariner's claim returned because OWCP omitted payroll evidence (ECAB 26-0063)
A civilian mariner claimed a left leg injury while aboard a Navy ship. OWCP denied the claim, and a hearing representative reviewed his duty status. The Board found that the representative failed to address a leave and earnings statement showing regular pay for the relevant period. It set aside the…
Arthur D. Browning v. Hobet Mining, LLC
Browning v. Hobet Mining (BRB 25-0383): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
Arthur Browning sought black lung benefits in a claim involving Hobet Mining and its former parent company, Arch Coal. After a federal appeals court ruling on liability became final, the Board dismissed Hobet as the responsible operator and Arch as the insurer. The Director of the Office of…
Lawrence A. Coleman v. Apogee Coal Company, LLC
Coleman v. Apogee Coal (BRB 25-0215): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
Lawrence Coleman sought black lung benefits in a claim involving Apogee Coal and its former parent company's insurance. Following a federal appeals court ruling on liability, the Board dismissed Apogee and the insurer from payment responsibility. The Director of the Office of Workers' Compensation…
M.B. and Department of Homeland Security, Management Directorate
Homeland Security employee's late appeal dismissed (ECAB 26-0637)
A Homeland Security employee appealed a December 3, 2025 OWCP decision on June 30, 2026. The Board found that the filing came after the 180-day appeal period. The appellant cited difficulty obtaining specialized treatment, but the Board found no sufficiently documented compelling circumstances. It…
B.C., Executrix of the Estate of B.W., and U.S. Postal Service, Cincinnati Main Post Office
Estate's appeal dismissed for lack of an adverse decision (ECAB 26-0636)
The executrix of a postal worker's estate sought Board review of May 2026 OWCP correspondence. The Board found that the correspondence was informational and did not decide the claim adversely. It dismissed the appeal without reaching the merits because it had no final adverse decision to review.
C.C. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
IRS employee's appeal dismissed as two days late (ECAB 26-0609)
An IRS employee appealed a December 18, 2025 OWCP decision on June 18, 2026. The Board calculated that the 180-day filing period ended June 16. It found no documented compelling circumstances that would excuse the late filing. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
C.A. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
IRS employee's appeal dismissed because letter was not a decision (ECAB 26-0582)
An IRS employee sought Board review of a July 2025 OWCP letter. The Board found that the letter was informational rather than a final adverse decision. It also found no other adverse decision within the applicable appeal period. It dismissed the appeal without reviewing compensation entitlement.
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Portland Post Office
Postal clerk's stress claim denial upheld (ECAB 24-0101)
A postal window clerk attributed an emotional condition to alleged bullying, retaliation, and other conduct by a former postmaster. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found that the record lacked reliable corroboration for the alleged harassment or discrimination and did not establish a compensable…
A.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Richmond
Postal worker's years-late appeal dismissed (ECAB 26-0689)
A postal worker appealed a May 27, 2021 OWCP decision in July 2026. The Board found the appeal far beyond the 180-day filing period and found no documented compelling circumstances. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Grand Rapids Post Office
Postal worker's late appeal dismissed (ECAB 26-0650)
A postal worker appealed an August 27, 2025 OWCP decision in July 2026. The Board found that the 180-day period ended February 23, 2026. It found no documented compelling circumstances for the late filing and dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
B.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Portland Post Office
Postal carrier's thumb arthritis claim denied (ECAB 26-0455)
A postal rural carrier claimed that repetitive work caused arthritis in his left thumb. His physician diagnosed the condition and attributed it to his duties. The Board found that the report did not adequately explain how those duties caused or aggravated the arthritis. It affirmed OWCP's denial…
D.G. and Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
DOL employee's disability claim returned for a new specialist opinion (ECAB 26-0137)
A DOL employee sought total disability compensation from June 2017 through November 2024 in connection with an accepted 1988 injury. OWCP obtained a second opinion that rejected total disability. The Board found that the specialist gave too little explanation for that conclusion. It set aside…
Matter of A-Q-R-K-
Asylum ruling remanded for a new credibility analysis
The Department of Homeland Security appealed an Immigration Judge's decision granting asylum to a citizen of Afghanistan. The Board found that the Immigration Judge did not adequately address numerous inconsistencies among the respondent's testimony, documentary evidence, and credible fear…
Matter of L-L-R-
Alien-smuggling conduct triggered cancellation bar
The Board dismissed an appeal from the pretermission of a Guatemalan national's application for cancellation of removal. The Immigration Judge found that the respondent hired and paid a smuggler to bring his minor son from Guatemala to the United States, knowing the child lacked authorization to…
A&D Construction, LLC
Appeal dismissed without prejudice as premature
A&D Construction was under investigation by the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division for alleged Davis-Bacon Act violations, including worker misclassification. The company wrote to the investigator and the investigator's supervisor disputing preliminary findings, then sent a letter to the…
National Treasury Employees Union and United States Department of Health and Human Services
NTEU and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (FLRA 0-AR-6106): Authority remands unilateral-change claim
The National Treasury Employees Union challenged the Health and Human Services Department's decision to offer early-retirement and separation incentives without first giving the union notice and an opportunity to bargain. An arbitrator found that the agency violated the parties' contract but did…
Cargill, Incorporated
In re Cargill, Incorporated (EAB CAA Appeal No. 26-07C): biodiesel sulfur-testing settlement approved
Cargill operates a biodiesel fuel manufacturing facility in Iowa Falls, Iowa. EPA alleged that Cargill used an unqualified sulfur test method for biodiesel produced during ten months of 2023 and three months of 2024, even though the data provided to EPA showed sulfur levels below the applicable 15…
Ingrodi v. CSX Transportation Inc.
ARB affirms dismissal of FRSA retaliation complaint
Nicholas Ingrodi, a CSX conductor, alleged that CSX violated the Federal Rail Safety Act by terminating him after he refused to work while suffering from a non-work-related illness. The ARB held that Ingrodi did not establish protected activity under the provision covering refusal to violate a…
D.H. and Peace Corps, Volunteer Services
Peace Corps teacher's wage loss suspension upheld (ECAB 26-0474)
A Peace Corps teacher receiving wage loss compensation was asked to complete a Form EN-1032 about employment and earnings. OWCP mailed the request and warned that benefits would stop if she did not return the completed form within 30 days. The Board found that she had not done so and upheld the…
K.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Westside Post Office
Postal worker's injury denial and hearing refusal upheld (ECAB 26-0454)
A postal mail equipment handler claimed an injury from a December 2024 work incident. The Board found that her physician described diagnoses but did not explain whether the accepted incident caused them. It also upheld OWCP's refusal of her hearing request because she had already requested…
K.V. and Department of the Air Force, Supply Chain Management, Tinker Air Force Base
Air Force employee's occupational claim denied for lack of diagnosis (ECAB 26-0448)
An Air Force program controller reported lightheadedness and dizziness related to work factors. Medical notes recorded his symptoms and tests, but the physician did not establish a diagnosed condition connected to the accepted factors. The Board found the medical record insufficient and affirmed…
Matter of S-K-E-
CAT deferral vacated and removal ordered
Both parties appealed an Immigration Judge's ruling that terminated the respondent's asylum status, denied several forms of relief, but granted deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture. The Board upheld the termination and denials based on the respondent's particularly serious crime…
Matter of A-L-S-
Bond order vacated and flight-risk analysis remanded
The Board reviewed the Department of Homeland Security's appeal from an Immigration Judge's order releasing a Mexican national on a $7,500 bond. The Board held that the Immigration Judge relied on speculative future eligibility for relief and did not adequately address whether the respondent would…
Sherman Ray Smith v. Arch of West Virginia, Incorporated
Smith v. Arch of West Virginia (BRB 25-0390): Trust Fund directed to pay benefits
Sherman Ray Smith sought black lung benefits in a claim involving Arch of West Virginia and its former parent company's insurance. Following a federal appeals court ruling on liability, the Board dismissed the employer and insurer from payment responsibility. The Director of the Office of Workers'…
P.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Cincinnati Bulk Mail Center
Postal worker's overpayment upheld but recovery rate reversed (ECAB 26-0468)
A postal worker received FECA wage loss payments while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits without the required offset. The Board upheld OWCP's $27,855.19 overpayment finding and its determination that he was not at fault. It found that OWCP set deductions from continuing…
S.R. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Dallas Fort Worth Airport
TSA employee's late reconsideration request denied (ECAB 26-0440)
A Transportation Security Administration employee sought reconsideration of a March 2023 OWCP merits decision in February 2026. OWCP found the request outside the one-year period. The Board agreed and found that the material submitted did not show clear evidence of error in the earlier decision. It…
H.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Santa Clarita Post Office
Postal carrier's disability claim denied for insufficient medical explanation (ECAB 26-0426)
A postal city carrier sought disability compensation for several periods in 2021 after an accepted work injury. His physician supplied work status notes stating that he could not work. The Board found that the reports did not adequately explain how the accepted injury caused the claimed inability…
Andy F. Yates v. Clinchfield Coal Company
Yates v. Clinchfield Coal (BRB 25-0190): Benefits denial reversed and award ordered
Andy Yates appealed the denial of his black lung benefits after more than 22 years of underground coal mine work. The administrative law judge had found that the evidence did not establish complicated pneumoconiosis. The Board found that the x-rays, CT scans, and medical opinions supported that…
T.F. and Department of the Air Force, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
Air Force employee's neuropathy claim denied (ECAB 26-0439)
An Air Force employee attributed peripheral neuropathy to his work around jet fuel. His physician stated that employment was the likely cause and described excluding several common causes. The Board found the report did not adequately explain how the accepted work factors caused the condition. It…
G.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Bath Beach Station
Postal carrier's reconsideration denial returned for an explanation (ECAB 26-0437)
A postal carrier sought reconsideration of OWCP decisions arising from an accepted head injury. OWCP summarily denied the request as late and said it showed no clear evidence of error. The Board found that OWCP had not explained its findings or the reason it rejected the submitted evidence. It set…
D.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Northeast Branch Post Office
Postal carrier's overpayment upheld but fault finding reversed (ECAB 25-0496)
A postal carrier received wage loss compensation for a period that OWCP later found was not payable. The Board upheld the $16,424.77 overpayment but found that she could not have known the payment was wrong when she received it, because OWCP denied the claimed period only later. It reversed the…
Matter of L-F-R-
Asylum fee ruling with withholding and CAT claims remanded
The Board reviewed an appeal from an Immigration Judge's decision finding that a Cuban national abandoned her asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture applications after she did not pay the required annual asylum fee. The Board held that the fee is mandatory for an asylum…
Jenny L. Howard (on behalf of Gregory Minix) v. Trinity Coal Corporation
Howard v. Trinity Coal (BRB 26-0134): Claimant withdraws appeal
Jenny Howard filed a black lung appeal on behalf of Gregory Minix against Trinity Coal Corporation and its insurer. She then asked the Benefits Review Board to withdraw that appeal. The Board granted her request under its withdrawal rule and dismissed the appeal. The order does not discuss the…
Amy Mitchell (widow of Delbert L. Mitchell) v. Sequoia Energy, LLC
Mitchell v. Sequoia Energy (BRB 26-0035): Employer withdraws appeal and must pay survivor benefits
Amy Mitchell sought survivor benefits after the death of her husband, Delbert Mitchell. Sequoia Energy and its insurer appealed but then told the Board that the employer had accepted liability in the miner's claim. The employer said Amy Mitchell was therefore automatically entitled to 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.