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.
No decisions match these filters
Try fewer or different words, check the spelling, or clear the filters to browse everything.
D.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Pasadena Post Office, Pasadena, MD
D.G. (ECAB 16-1009): Injury claim and reconsideration denial affirmed
D.G., a postal custodian, reported right leg and lower back pain after tripping over a tub of packages at work. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied the claim because her physicians did not explain how it caused the diagnosed conditions. The Board agreed that the reports lacked a…
J.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, LaGrange, KY
J.C. (ECAB 16-0952): Termination of injury benefits affirmed
J.C., a postal rural carrier, received benefits for neck and back conditions accepted after a work-related vehicle collision. OWCP ended his wage-loss compensation and medical benefits based on a physician’s finding that the accepted conditions had resolved and that current restrictions came from…
P.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Warsaw, IN
P.F. (ECAB 16-0693): Right knee replacement authorization denied
P.F., a postal rural letter carrier, had accepted right knee conditions and sought authorization for a total knee replacement. Her treating physician recommended surgery, while an OWCP referral physician disagreed about whether it was appropriate. An impartial specialist found continuing knee…
J.M. and Department of the Navy, Naval Supply Systems Command, Gulfport, MS
J.M. (ECAB 16-0669): Seven percent arm award and review denials affirmed
J.M., a Navy worker, had an accepted right elbow and forearm claim and a schedule award for seven percent permanent right arm impairment. After another surgery, his treating physician gave an eight percent rating but did not identify the impairment-guide table or diagnosis supporting that number…
O.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
O.L. (ECAB 16-0616): Right knee benefit termination affirmed
O.L., a postal city carrier, received benefits for a right knee sprain and meniscus tear sustained while delivering mail. She later had a total knee replacement that OWCP had not authorized. An OWCP referral physician examined her and concluded that the accepted injuries had resolved, while her…
T.T. and Department of the Interior, BLM, Nevada State Office, Reno, NV
T.T. (ECAB 16-0340): Lung claim reconsideration denied
T.T., a wildland firefighter, had an accepted claim for smoke inhalation and later sought benefits for a claimed recurrence of disability involving breathing problems. OWCP denied the recurrence claim, and he requested reconsideration while saying he had enclosed new medical records. The records…
Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), on behalf of Shayne Bungard v. GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance
Secretary of Labor obo Shayne Bungard v. GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance (FMSHRC WEVA 2015-793-D): Miner fired after asking for a dust mask wins discrimination case
Shayne Bungard was a new miner working for contractor GMS Mine Repair on a belt line crew at the McElroy Mine. On January 16, 2015, heavy dust drove his crew into a crosscut twice. When the foreman ordered them back to work, Bungard asked for a dust mask. The foreman became angry, walked him out of…
Secretary of Labor v. ICG Illinois, LLC
Refuge chamber 110 feet too far upheld as S&S
At ICG Illinois's Viper Mine, a refuge chamber was 1,110 to 1,125 feet from the nearest working face, exceeding the 1,000-foot limit in 30 C.F.R. § 75.1506(c)(1). The operator did not dispute the violation, and the only issue before the Commission was whether it was significant and substantial. The…
S.O. and Social Security Administration, Los Angeles Teleservice Center, Los Angeles, CA
S.O. (ECAB 16-1156): Emotional-condition claim denied
S.O., a Social Security teleservice representative, sought compensation after a June 2014 discussion with his supervisor about work performance, which he said caused physical and emotional symptoms. He alleged that the supervisor refused union representation and delayed medical care. The Board…
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Stockbridge Post Office, Stockbridge, GA
K.S. (ECAB 16-1084): Benefit-termination reconsideration denied
K.S., a postal carrier, received benefits after a fall at work caused an accepted lumbar sprain and left buttock contusion. OWCP later terminated wage-loss and medical benefits after an impartial physician concluded that the accepted injuries had resolved. She requested reconsideration and…
C.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Milwaukee, WI
C.L. (ECAB 16-1078): Left foot occupational claim denied
C.L., a postal distribution supervisor, reported left foot and ankle pain while walking and standing for hours on concrete floors at work. OWCP accepted those work activities as factual but denied the claim for lack of medical proof linking them to her diagnosed conditions. Her physicians suggested…
C.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Milwaukee, WI
C.J. (ECAB 16-1068): Missed telephone hearing treated as abandoned
C.J., a postal clerk with an accepted left knee injury, requested a hearing after OWCP denied her later recurrence claim. OWCP mailed notice of a telephone hearing to her address of record more than 30 days before its scheduled date. She did not join the hearing or ask for another hearing within 10…
B.W. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
B.W. (ECAB 16-1012): Back injury claim denied despite accepted lifting incident
B.W., an Army depot welder, reported back pain after lifting parts at work. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied his injury claim for lack of a supported medical link to his back conditions. The Board found that imaging showed conditions without explaining their cause, one physician…
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Gaithersburg, MD
B.B. (ECAB 16-0495): Overpayment decision set aside for telephone conference
B.B., a postal mail processor, received payments for periods when OWCP said another injury claim had already paid her total disability compensation. OWCP proposed an $816.96 overpayment and a finding that she was at fault. She requested a telephone conference within 30 days of the preliminary…
N.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Los Angeles, CA
N.C. (ECAB 16-0441): Overpayment recalculation ordered
N.C., a Transportation Security Administration screener, received compensation after an accepted shoulder and neck injury. OWCP calculated a $16,955.80 overpayment by combining alleged overpayments and underpayments across several years. The Board found that OWCP used a pay rate from a later work…
Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) v. P.A. Landers, Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. P.A. Landers, Inc. (FMSHRC YORK 2015-123-M): Unopposed motion to reopen a final penalty granted
When MSHA proposes a penalty, the operator has 30 days under section 105(a) of the Mine Act to contest it. If that deadline passes, the assessment becomes a final order of the Commission on its own, and the operator has to ask the Commission to reopen the case before it can contest anything. P.A…
Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) v. Gateway Eagle Coal Company, LLC
Secretary of Labor v. Gateway Eagle Coal Company, LLC (FMSHRC WEVA 2015-844): Operator withdraws its own motion to reopen, case dismissed
Gateway Eagle Coal Company asked the Commission in July 2015 to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. Before the Commission ruled, the company changed course and in April 2016 asked to withdraw that request. The Commission granted the withdrawal and dismissed the case…
Secretary of Labor v. Brody Mining, LLC
Operator withdraws reopening motion, case dismissed
Brody Mining asked the Commission in June 2015 to reopen this docket. Before the Commission ruled on that request, the company asked to withdraw it in January 2016. The Commission granted the withdrawal and dismissed the case. The order does not address why reopening was requested, whether…
Secretary of Labor v. C & H Gravel Company
Unopposed motion reopens final assessment
C & H Gravel Company asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted the motion and remanded the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It directed the Secretary…
Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) v. Cypress Pointe Inc.
Secretary of Labor v. Cypress Pointe Inc. (FMSHRC CENT 2015-480-M): Unopposed motion to reopen a final penalty granted
An operator that wants to contest an MSHA penalty has 30 days under section 105(a) of the Mine Act to say so. Miss that window and the proposed assessment becomes a final order of the Commission automatically, and the only way back in is to ask the Commission to reopen the case. Cypress Pointe…
B.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Overton Brooks Medical Center, Shreveport, LA
B.H. (ECAB 16-1236): Hand condition reconsideration denied
B.H., a former Veterans Affairs nurse and health technician, claimed that work activities caused bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP denied her claim after finding that she had not sufficiently clarified the work activities she believed responsible. She again requested reconsideration and said…
R.M. and Department of Defense, Pentagon Maintenance Department, Washington, DC
R.M. (ECAB 16-1116): One percent awards for each arm upheld
R.M., a Defense Department maintenance inspector, had an accepted cervical condition and received schedule awards for one percent permanent impairment of each arm. He sought higher ratings after spinal surgery. The Board found that OWCP’s physicians used the applicable impairment method and…
D.W. and Department of Agriculture, Inspection Operations Program, Minneapolis, MN
D.W. (ECAB 16-1044): Asthma award claim reopened for merit review
D.W., an Agriculture Department inspector, had an accepted work-related asthma condition and sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. OWCP denied the award, relying in part on normal lung-function measurements. On reconsideration, D.W. submitted new reports from OWCP’s second-opinion…
J.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Fayetteville, GA
J.B. (ECAB 16-0843): Recurrence claim reconsideration denied
J.B., a postal rural carrier, had accepted injuries from a work-related vehicle accident and later underwent an authorized right knee replacement. OWCP denied his claim for disability after he stopped modified work in August 2013, and the Board previously affirmed that denial. He requested…
C.Z. and Department of Energy, Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office, West Mifflin, PA
C.Z. (ECAB 16-0775): Shoulder claim after worksite flu shot denied
C.Z., an Energy Department administrative assistant, reported left shoulder and arm symptoms after receiving a voluntary flu shot at her worksite. OWCP accepted the vaccination as an employment incident but denied her injury claim. One physician said a hematoma was possibly due to the shot; other…
D.J. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, CA
D.J. (ECAB 16-0663): Additional knee and back conditions denied
D.J., a Navy computer assistant, had an accepted right knee meniscus injury and later sought to add left knee and back conditions to his claim. His physician attributed the left knee problem partly to extra weight bearing after the right knee injury and to repetitive work, but did not explain the…
F.J. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Alabama Healthcare System, Montgomery, AL
F.J. (ECAB 15-1626): Mold-related rhinitis claim denied
F.J., a Veterans Affairs medical records worker, reported worsening nasal symptoms while handling records in a building where an employer inspection documented mold. OWCP accepted that he was exposed to mold but denied his occupational disease claim. One physician attributed his worsening allergic…
Latshaw Drilling and Exploration, LLC
Extension-cord strain-relief citation vacated
OSHA found that the outer sheathing on an energized extension cord had pulled away from a floodlight connection on Latshaw Drilling's oil rig, exposing the insulated inner conductors. The judge found that the strain-relief device was not functioning as required and that employees had access to a…
Triumph Construction Corp.
Repeat cave-in violation affirmed and loose-soil item vacated
Triumph Construction replaced a water main in lower Manhattan using an excavation without a cave-in protective system. An employee was injured when part of the excavation collapsed. The judge found that the excavation was at least five feet deep where the employee worked, so the shallow-excavation…
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 4 (Union) and United States Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Agency)
IFPTE Local 4 and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (FLRA 0-MC-0027): Impasse-order stay denied
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and IFPTE Local 4 reached an impasse over the relocation of about 100 employees, and a Panel arbitrator imposed terms governing the new facility's floorplan and cubicles. The union asked the Authority to stay that decision while grievances, unfair-labor-practice…
Secretary of Labor v. Kingston Mining, LLC
Unopposed motion reopens final assessment
Kingston Mining asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted the motion and remanded the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It directed the Secretary to…
Secretary of Labor v. Solvay Chemicals, Inc.
Two final assessments reopened together
Solvay Chemicals filed two motions asking the Commission to reopen two penalty assessments that had become final orders. The Commission consolidated the dockets for the limited purpose of deciding the similar procedural requests. The Secretary did not oppose either motion. The Commission reopened…
Secretary of Labor v. Sprague Stone
Unopposed motion reopens final assessment
Sprague Stone asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted the motion and remanded the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It directed the Secretary to file…
Secretary of Labor v. Cumberland Coal Resources, LP
No delivery proof means assessment never became final
MSHA mailed Cumberland Coal a proposed assessment, but the Postal Service recorded no delivery date and MSHA had no confirmation that the operator received it. Cumberland said it never received the assessment and therefore had no opportunity to file a contest within 30 days. The Secretary did not…
Secretary of Labor v. Bayer Construction Co.
Unopposed motion reopens final assessment
Bayer Construction asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted the motion and remanded the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It directed the Secretary to…
Secretary of Labor v. Stream Construction
Unopposed motion reopens final assessment
Stream Construction asked the Commission to reopen a penalty assessment that had already become a final order. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission granted the motion and remanded the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings. It directed the Secretary…
N.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Los Angeles, CA
N.C. (ECAB 16-1152): Rehabilitation reduction upheld; pay rate remanded
N.C., a Transportation Security Administration screener, received compensation after an accepted shoulder and neck injury. OWCP reduced his benefits based on what he could have earned in a suitable sedentary position had he cooperated with vocational rehabilitation. The Board upheld the reduction…
K.H. and Department of Agriculture, Inspection Operations Program, Minneapolis, MN
K.H. (ECAB 16-0776): Later neck and arm symptoms not linked to fall
K.H., an Agriculture Department inspector, had an accepted left shoulder contusion after slipping down stairs at work. He later sought treatment for neck, back, right arm, and shoulder symptoms and claimed a recurrence from the same fall. The Board found that his physician identified a cervical…
S.B. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Cleveland, OH
S.B. (ECAB 16-0760): Gym-related infection claim denied
S.B., an immigration enforcement agent, developed a right thigh infection and said he contracted MRSA during a workout in his employer’s gym. OWCP accepted that the workout occurred in the performance of duty. His physician initially suspected ingrown hairs and later said exposure to MRSA at the…
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cincinnati, OH
B.B. (ECAB 16-0734): Termination of foot-injury benefits reversed
B.B., a postal mail handler, had an accepted bilateral foot condition associated with prolonged standing at work. OWCP terminated medical and wage-loss benefits after a second-opinion surgeon said the condition had resolved and attributed her complaints to other health conditions. The Board found…
R.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, West Hempstead, NY
R.A. (ECAB 16-0629): Unexplained mail-route fall covered; injuries remanded
R.A., a postal letter carrier, lost consciousness and fell while on his mail route near his vehicle. OWCP denied his claim on the ground that a personal medical condition caused the fall. The Board found no probative medical evidence establishing such a cause and held that a medical history alone…
H.G. and Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maquoketa, IA
H.G. (ECAB 16-0610): Overlooked medical report requires merit review
H.G., an Agriculture Department forester, sought further consideration of a recurrence claim after a work vehicle tipped over. Her reconsideration request came more than a year after OWCP’s merit denial, so she had to show clear evidence of error. OWCP acknowledged that a physician’s report reached…
V.W. and Department of the Army, Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, DC
V.W. (ECAB 16-0531): PTSD claim reconsideration denied
V.W., a custodial worker at Walter Reed, claimed that her later federal employment aggravated PTSD following a distressing incident that occurred while she worked for a private contractor. OWCP denied the federal claim after finding no established compensable work factor during her federal…
Secretary of Labor v. Consolidation Coal Company
Three unwarrantable orders draw $43,865
MSHA issued Consolidation Coal three section 104(d)(2) orders at the Loveridge No. 22 Mine, two for combustible accumulations and one for an inadequate preshift examination. The first involved extensive dry coal in a scoop haulage entry and primary escapeway that took seven miners, four hours, and…
Secretary of Labor v. The American Coal Company
Remand leaves five penalties at $43,200
Judge John Kent Lewis had affirmed five significant-and-substantial violations at American Coal's New Era Mine, four involving unsupported roof or ribs and one involving a transportation safeguard, and assessed $43,200 against MSHA's higher special-assessment proposals. The Commission sent the…
Secretary of Labor v. Meyer Aggregate, LLC
One citation vacated and penalties reduced to $3,742
Meyer Aggregate operated a small portable sand-and-gravel mine with three regular employees, and the case covered eight citations across five dockets. Judge Margaret A. Miller affirmed an S&S, high-negligence, unwarrantable violation where an unstable 40-foot stockpile sloughed about 100 tons of…
A.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Yonkers, NY
A.K. (ECAB 16-1085): Knee arthritis occupational claim denied
A.K., a postal letter carrier, said decades of carrying mail, climbing stairs, and walking caused or aggravated his left knee arthritis. OWCP did not dispute those duties but denied the claim. The Board found that his physician attributed the condition to work without adequately explaining how the…
G.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New Orleans, LA
G.C. (ECAB 16-0681): Late request to reopen wage-loss termination denied
G.C., a postal clerk, received compensation for accepted right wrist conditions until OWCP terminated wage-loss benefits. She sought reconsideration more than a year after the termination decision, saying medication had made her miss paperwork. The Board found no medical evidence that medication…
J.O. and Office of Personnel Management, Boyers HR Services Team, Boyers, PA
J.O. (ECAB 16-0636): Fall in workplace nurse’s office covered; injuries remanded
J.O., an Office of Personnel Management employee, fell while putting on a boot after resting in the nursing station during his workday. OWCP found that the fall was outside his duties. The Board held that resting at the onsite nursing station for symptoms was a reasonable act of personal comfort…
L.N. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV
L.N. (ECAB 16-0566): Later back disability not linked to accepted injury
L.N., an airport transportation security officer, had accepted back conditions after a fall at work and later returned to restricted duty following authorized surgery. She stopped working again in October 2015 and claimed total disability. Her physician identified a new L2-L3 disc herniation and…
J.Y. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Long Beach, CA
J.Y. (ECAB 16-0487): Late wage-loss reconsideration denied
J.Y., a Veterans Affairs contract specialist, sought wage-loss compensation for accepted hand and wrist conditions. He requested reconsideration more than a year after OWCP’s merit decision denying the claimed period. The Board found that later physician reports either repeated earlier opinions or…
T.C. and U.S. Postal Service, St. Paul Processing & Distribution Center, St. Paul, MN
T.C. (ECAB 16-0484): Wage-loss benefits ended after suitable-work refusal
T.C., a postal expediter, received compensation for an accepted left great toe injury that limited her ability to walk or stand. The Postal Service offered a mostly seated modified position, which she declined. OWCP found the offered position suitable. An impartial medical specialist found that she…
R.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Brooklyn, NY
R.I. (ECAB 16-0392): Additional conditions after assault remanded
R.I., a postal collections driver, sustained a facial contusion in a physical and verbal assault at work. He sought to add neck, nerve, headache, and emotional conditions to the accepted claim. OWCP denied the additional conditions, finding the medical evidence inadequate. The Board found that his…
Joshua A. Franks v. D&L Weld and Trillium Construction Services
Timely pro se appeal survives motion to dismiss
Joshua Franks filed a Mine Act discrimination complaint with MSHA, and the Secretary later notified him that MSHA would not pursue the case. Franks emailed the Commission less than 30 days after that notice to continue the claim on his own behalf. D&L Weld sought dismissal, arguing that the appeal…
B.S. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Regular Employee Functions, Luray, VA
B.S. (ECAB 16-1122): Tick-bite injury denial and refusal to reopen affirmed
B.S., a National Park Service tractor operator, reported a tick bite while working outdoors in May 2015. OWCP accepted that the bite occurred but denied his claim that it caused a medical condition. His physician suspected Lyme disease despite nonreactive testing, but the Board found no definitive…
J.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, South Euclid, OH
J.T. (ECAB 16-1093): Right-leg impairment award upheld at 31 percent
J.T., a postal letter carrier, had an accepted work-related aggravation of right-knee arthritis and later underwent a total knee replacement. OWCP had awarded compensation for 20 percent permanent impairment of his right leg, then an additional 11 percent after an impartial specialist assessed a 31…
L.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Macomb, MI
L.S. (ECAB 16-0950): Left-elbow injury claim denial affirmed
L.S., a postal carrier technician, said she struck her left elbow on a vehicle door while closing its window at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied her injury claim. The Board found that her physician diagnosed an elbow contusion without explaining how the specific workplace…
D.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Inglewood, CA
D.L. (ECAB 16-0949): Refusal to reopen terminated-benefits claim affirmed
D.L., a postal carrier, had accepted knee, ankle, leg, and temporary back conditions after stepping on fallen plant matter at work. OWCP later terminated his medical and wage-loss benefits after relying on an impartial physician’s opinion that the accepted conditions had resolved. D.L. sought…
V.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Edison, NJ
V.B. (ECAB 16-0883): Knee injury claim remanded for medical development
V.B., a postal mail carrier, reported twisting her left knee while stepping out of her mail truck. OWCP accepted the incident but denied her claim for a meniscus tear and other left-knee conditions. Her treating physicians linked the tear to the twisting motion, and the Board found their reports…
T.R. and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Memphis, TN
T.R. (ECAB 16-0754): Workplace fall claim remanded for factual and medical review
T.R., a paralegal specialist at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, lost consciousness and fell at work after an exchange with her supervisor. Their accounts of that exchange differed. OWCP denied her injury claim, citing inconsistencies without identifying which facts it accepted or…
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.