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.
E.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Bronxville Post Office
Board upholds postal carrier shoulder disability denial (ECAB 25-0287)
A postal city carrier assistant sought wage-loss benefits after an accepted shoulder injury. The Board found the medical evidence did not adequately establish work-related disability during the claimed period. It upheld the denial.
M.N. and U.S. Postal Service, San Antonio Post Office
Board upholds denial of postal therapy and travel costs (ECAB 25-0271)
A San Antonio postal worker sought authorization for physical therapy and reimbursement for travel to medical treatment in December 2021. The Board found OWCP properly denied both requests under the evidence presented. It upheld the decisions.
M.P. and Department of the Navy, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest
Board upholds refusal to reopen Navy hearing-loss claim (ECAB 25-0206)
A Navy machinist sought reconsideration of an earlier hearing-loss claim ruling. The Board found his request did not satisfy the requirements for reopening the merits. It upheld OWCP's denial of reconsideration.
C.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of VA worker continuation of pay (ECAB 25-0322)
A VA human resources specialist sought continuation of pay for a claimed workplace injury involving psychological and other symptoms. The Board found he did not establish the requirements for that benefit. It upheld OWCP's denial.
W.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Durham Post Office
Board returns postal impairment claim for evidence review (ECAB 25-0320)
A Durham postal worker sought an increased schedule award. OWCP denied the claim without addressing a physician report it had received before the decision. The Board ordered OWCP to consider that report and issue a new decision.
D.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Carol Stream Post Office
Board returns postal neck claim for specialist opinion (ECAB 25-0288)
A postal worker attributed neck and arm symptoms to lifting and tossing a heavy box at work. Her physician linked cervical disc and nerve findings to the incident. The Board found that report did not prove the claim but required further medical development and a specialist opinion.
S.P. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Mall and Memorial Parks
Board upholds park ranger COVID claim denial (ECAB 25-0265)
A National Park Service ranger reported close contact with a coworker who had COVID-19 and claimed he contracted it at work. The Board found the medical evidence did not establish a qualifying diagnosis linked to the accepted exposure. It upheld the denial.
T.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Madison Square Garden Station
Board returns postal reconsideration request for reasoned decision (ECAB 25-0238)
A postal worker sought reconsideration after an earlier benefit termination. OWCP denied the request as late without explaining why the submitted evidence failed the clear-error standard. The Board returned the request for findings and a clear statement of reasons.
Hilda F. Miller (o/b/o and Widow of Edgar H. Miller) v. Hobet Mining Incorporated
Miller v. Hobet Mining (BRB 23-0333 and 23-0399): miner and survivor benefits affirmed
Hilda F. Miller pursued her late husband's miner's claim and her own survivor's claim for black lung benefits. The administrative law judge found at least 15 years of qualifying coal mine employment, total disability, and entitlement to the presumption of disability due to pneumoconiosis, then…
Hilda F. Miller (o/b/o and Widow of Edgar H. Miller) v. Hobet Mining Incorporated
Miller v. Hobet Mining (BRB 23-0333 and 23-0399): miner and survivor benefits affirmed
Hilda F. Miller pursued her late husband's miner's claim and her own survivor's claim for black lung benefits. The administrative law judge found at least 15 years of qualifying coal mine employment, total disability, and entitlement to the presumption of disability due to pneumoconiosis, then…
T.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Albion Post Office
Board upholds postal worker disability and review denials (ECAB 25-0284)
An Albion postal worker sought wage-loss benefits after an accepted injury and later asked OWCP to reconsider. The Board found the medical evidence did not establish work-related disability for the claimed dates. It also found the reconsideration request did not meet the reopening requirements.
K.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, San Francisco National Cemetery
Board upholds prior six percent left-leg award (ECAB 25-0278)
A VA cemetery employee sought a larger schedule award after an accepted ankle injury. He had previously received an award for six percent left-leg impairment. The Board found the medical evidence did not establish a higher rating.
J.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Englewood Post Office
Board upholds late hearing and reconsideration denials (ECAB 25-0267)
A Chicago postal worker sought review of an earlier claim decision through a written-record hearing and reconsideration. The Board found both requests were filed late, and the reconsideration materials did not demonstrate clear evidence of error. It upheld OWCP's denials.
J.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Board upholds VA worker elbow claim denial (ECAB 25-0231)
A VA personnel specialist attributed a left-elbow condition to typing at work. The Board found the medical evidence did not adequately establish a causal link to the accepted employment factors. It upheld the denial.
A.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Kilmer Processing & Distribution Center
Board upholds postal driver disability denial (ECAB 25-0224)
A postal vehicle operator sought wage-loss benefits after an accepted 2021 injury. The Board found the medical evidence did not adequately establish that the injury caused disability from work beginning February 23, 2022. It upheld the denial.
JMT Services, Inc.
Six citations vacated because workers were independent contractors
JMT Services supplied a crew for framing and roofing work at an airport hangar project in Chillicothe, Missouri. OSHA issued six citations covering eye protection, scaffold support, equipment safety, fall protection, ladders, and forklift training, with $30,675 in proposed penalties. The parties…
P.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Houma Post Office
Board upholds denial of additional shoulder condition (ECAB 25-0277)
A Houma postal worker sought to expand an accepted 2014 injury claim to include a right-shoulder condition. The Board found the medical evidence did not adequately connect that condition to the accepted injury. It upheld OWCP's denial.
C.T. and U.S. Postal Service, International Service Center New York, John F. Kennedy International Airport
Board upholds denial of late written-record review (ECAB 25-0213)
A postal mail handler requested written-record review of a 2022 decision in July 2024. The Board found the request was outside the 30-day period and that OWCP reasonably declined to grant discretionary review. It affirmed the denial as modified.
L.N. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Austin VA Clinic
Board returns VA worker medical claim for specialist opinion (ECAB 25-0173)
A VA clinic worker attributed a medical condition to accepted work factors. Her physician's opinion did not fully prove causation, but the Board found it warranted further medical development. It returned the claim for a specialist opinion and new decision.
Avalos Home Improvements WI LLC
Contest dismissed after signed settlement
OSHA cited Avalos Home Improvements for four serious construction violations after employees were observed roofing without fall protection in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The company signed an expedited informal settlement agreement that reduced the proposed penalties from $13,828 to $9,679.60 and…
L.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Jackson Processing & Distribution Center
Board returns postal arm rating but denies recurrence (ECAB 24-0840)
A postal mail processing clerk sought benefits for renewed disability and a larger right-arm schedule award. The Board found no proof of the claimed disability recurrence. It found conflicting medical opinions about the arm impairment rating and returned that issue for an impartial examination.
T.L. and Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Metropolitan Detention Center
Board returns recurrent back and knee claim for combined file review (ECAB 25-0309)
A federal prison secretary claimed spine, knee, and hip problems that she associated with office work and an earlier accepted fall. OWCP denied the new claim while pointing to her previously accepted back and knee conditions, but the two claim files had not been combined. The Board found that OWCP…
S.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Washington Post Office
Board upholds denial of claimed neck sprain (ECAB 25-0296)
A postal delivery specialist said her neck was injured when a supervisor opened a door while a key on her neck lanyard was in the lock. OWCP accepted the work incident but denied the injury claim. The Board found that medical forms describing an assault did not accurately describe the lanyard…
G.E. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of late reconsideration request (ECAB 25-0189)
A VA registered nurse sought reconsideration of OWCP’s January 2022 denial of compensation for a period of work disability. She argued that her physician’s office had requested reconsideration earlier, but the Board found the earlier submission contained medical records without a reconsideration…
S.D. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Air Station
Board upholds denial of late overpayment hearing request (ECAB 25-0125)
A former Navy telecommunications supervisor requested a hearing after OWCP proposed recovering $18,609.80 in compensation it said overlapped with Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP sent a new preliminary overpayment notice on June 25, 2024, following an earlier remand for more information…
Felipe Rucobo v. National Steel & Shipbuilding Company
Rucobo v. National Steel & Shipbuilding (BRB 23-0358, 23-0435, and 23-0435A): fee awards remanded
Felipe Rucobo settled Longshore Act claims arising from work as a pipe welder for National Steel & Shipbuilding, leaving attorney fees and costs disputed. An administrative law judge and a district director awarded fees, and both sides challenged parts of those awards. The Board held that the judge…
Alberto Franco Morales v. SOC, LLC and Triple Canopy, Incorporated
Franco Morales v. SOC and Triple Canopy (BRB 23-0417): psychological injury denial affirmed
Alberto Franco Morales sought Defense Base Act benefits for hearing loss and a psychological condition he attributed to security work in Iraq for SOC and Triple Canopy. A judge awarded medical benefits for hearing loss but found that he had not proved a work-related psychological injury. The Board…
R.A. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital
Board upholds denial of claim lacking medical diagnosis (ECAB 25-0276)
A VA medical supply technician said a coworker pulled a chair into his chair during a work break, causing a possible contusion. OWCP accepted that the November 2023 incident occurred and asked for medical evidence. The worker supplied no medical records diagnosing an injury. The Board affirmed…
K.H. and U.S. Postal Service, North Metro Processing & Distribution Center
Board upholds refusal to reopen schedule award claim (ECAB 25-0242)
A postal mail processing clerk whose COVID-19 claim had been accepted sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. OWCP denied the award in January 2024 because the record lacked a medical impairment rating. Her later reconsideration request supplied no new relevant medical evidence or legal…
R.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Biloxi VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of stress claim over workplace dispute (ECAB 25-0233)
A VA medical clerk claimed an emotional condition after a dispute with managers about lights being turned off in the clerks’ work area. He described being berated by a chief medical officer. The Board found that the supervisory exchange concerned an administrative matter and that the evidence did…
G.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship & Immigration Services, Houston Asylum Office
Board upholds denial of added knee conditions and physical therapy (ECAB 25-0104)
An asylum officer sought to add chondromalacia and post-traumatic osteoarthritis of her right knee to a claim accepted after a workplace fall. She also sought authorization for physical therapy. The Board found the medical evidence did not establish that the additional conditions were caused by the…
A.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of injury claim after off-duty rideshare collision (ECAB 24-0764)
A VA nursing assistant reported injuries after the rideshare vehicle she was driving struck a deer on her way home from work. She had dropped off a coworker, her scheduled work had ended, and the van was not a government vehicle. The Board found that the trip did not fall within a recognized…
Wabash Carbon Services, LLC
In re Wabash Carbon Services, LLC (EAB UIC Appeal No. 24-01): Permit remanded for post-injection site-care analysis
Four farmers challenged two Underground Injection Control permits for Wabash Carbon Services' carbon-dioxide injection wells in Indiana. The permits used a 10-year post-injection site-care period instead of the usual 50-year default. The Environmental Appeals Board remanded the permits because the…
D.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Cardiss Collins Post Office
Board returns forklift injury claim for review of combined evidence (ECAB 25-0295)
A postal mail handler claimed back injuries after a forklift collision at work. OWCP combined the current claim with an earlier back injury file but did not address a physician’s report in that combined record before denying modification. The Board found that OWCP had to consider the evidence…
J.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Michigan City Post Office
Board recognizes work incident and returns injury claim for medical review (ECAB 25-0292)
A postal lobby monitor reported leg, hip, back, and knee symptoms after sitting on a wooden stool during a work shift. His supervisor initially confirmed the account, though the Postal Service later noted he could have used a desk and chair. The Board found the account consistent with the record…
B.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Bedford Park Post Office
Board returns knee claim for combined file review (ECAB 25-0273)
A city mail carrier claimed that a right knee condition arose partly from compensating for a prior left knee problem. OWCP denied the right knee claim after considering information from other claim files. The Board found that full review required the current file and two earlier files to be…
P.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Jenks Post Office
Board upholds denial of carrier’s back and hip claim (ECAB 25-0249)
A rural carrier fell while delivering a package and sought compensation for lumbar and left hip conditions. The Board accepted that the fall occurred but found the medical record did not connect the diagnosed conditions to it. It gave greater weight to a second-opinion physician who explained the…
A.R. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol
Board upholds 17 percent hearing-loss award (ECAB 25-0129)
A retired Border Patrol agent sought a larger schedule award for hearing loss linked to years of work-related noise exposure. OWCP had awarded compensation for 17 percent binaural hearing loss, including an adjustment for tinnitus. The Board reviewed the medical adviser’s calculations under the…
Ronnie L. Wolford v. Pocahontas Coal Company, LLC
Wolford v. Pocahontas Coal (BRB 24-0266): black lung benefits award affirmed on remand
Ronnie L. Wolford sought black lung benefits after 33 years of underground coal mine employment. On remand, the administrative law judge found total disability from the blood gas studies and medical opinions, found that the employer did not rebut the presumption of disability due to pneumoconiosis…
William E. Wilders v. Consolidation Coal Company
Wilders v. Consolidation Coal (BRB 24-0110): black lung benefits award affirmed
William E. Wilders sought black lung benefits after 26 years of coal mine employment. On modification, the administrative law judge found at least 15 qualifying years, a totally disabling respiratory or pulmonary impairment, legal pneumoconiosis, and awarded benefits. Consolidation Coal and its…
Gary L. Collins v. Nine Mile Mining, Incorporated
Collins v. Nine Mile Mining (BRB 23-0493 and 23-0493 BLA-A): black lung benefits denial vacated in part and remanded
Gary L. Collins worked for at least 40 years in underground coal mines and sought black lung benefits in a subsequent claim. The administrative law judge found that he had not proved a totally disabling respiratory or pulmonary impairment and denied benefits. The Board affirmed the judge's findings…
Robert L. Plaster v. Glamorgan Coal Corporation
Plaster v. Glamorgan Coal (BRB 23-0489): complicated pneumoconiosis award affirmed
Robert Plaster sought benefits after 28 years of coal mine employment. The administrative law judge found complicated pneumoconiosis and awarded benefits under the irrebuttable presumption of total disability. The employer challenged the admission of a medical report and argued that the judge…
Ronald Patrick West, Sr. v. Service Employees International, Incorporated
West v. Service Employees International (BRB 23-0393): additional medical benefits denied
Ronald Patrick West, Sr., received disability and medical benefits for injuries from his work as a truck driver in Iraq. He later sought coverage for additional conditions and reimbursement for home care, dental work, a more expensive airline ticket, and orthotics. A judge found that the new…
Administrator, Wage and Hour Div., USDOL v. The Edgewood Co., LLC
Interlocutory H-2B jury-trial appeal declined
The Edgewood Company demanded a jury trial in an H-2B enforcement proceeding, relying on the Supreme Court's Jarkesy decision. The administrative judge denied the demand but certified the controlling legal question for interlocutory review. The Board explained that it may consider some as-applied…
DeBuse v. Corr Flight S.
Late reconsideration and ALJ removal challenge rejected
The Board had affirmed an administrative judge's AIR21 ruling that Colin DeBuse engaged in protected activity and an award against Corr Flight Services. Corr Flight sought reconsideration 60 days later and asked the Board to reverse or stay the case while a federal court considered its challenge to…
Prime International Shipping, LLC
Three serious warehouse violations affirmed
Prime International Shipping used a crew to load vehicles into overseas shipping containers at its Houston facility. OSHA cited an unprotected gap between the loading dock and containers, inadequate forklift training, and a chop saw with its guard tied back. Prime argued that the loading crew…
Secretary of Labor v. Carver Sand & Gravel, LLC
Paid assessment could not be reopened
Carver Sand & Gravel sought to reopen an assessment after its contest was rejected as late. USPS records showed that a company representative signed for the assessment on March 9, 2024, making the contest due April 8, while Carver Sand asserted that it received the assessment on March 11. Before…
Secretary of Labor v. Gentry Mountain Mining, LLC
Safety findings affirmed and penalties increased
MSHA cited Gentry Mountain's underground coal mine for loose ribs along a haulage way, a come-along missing safety latches, a Jeep parked beneath the lifeline in the primary escapeway, and two nonfunctioning methane monitors. The Judge affirmed the loose-rib citation as significant and substantial…
Administrator, Wage and Hour Div., USDOL v. O’Bryan Composting, LLC
Moot H-2A interlocutory appeal withdrawn and dismissed
O'Bryan Composting sought interlocutory review after an administrative judge denied its motion to dismiss an H-2A enforcement matter. While the Board considered whether to accept that appeal, the judge issued a new order dismissing the Tennessee-worker allegations for lack of jurisdiction. The…
McMillan v. American Federation of Government Employees, Local Union 2145
Union-dues remedy reconsideration and related motions denied
The Board had reversed an administrative judge's recommended remedy in a union standards-of-conduct case and ordered Local 2145 to reimburse Cassandra McMillan $1.72 for every payday during a specified 2020 to 2022 period. McMillan asked the Board to clarify the ruling and argued that the judge's…
Administrator, Wage and Hour Div., USDOL v. Lucero Pool Plaster, Inc.
H-2B awards modified and debarment increased to three years
Lucero Pool Plaster hired 20 H-2B construction workers in each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons for swimming-pool work based in the Chicago area. The Board upheld findings that the company underpaid wages and hours, sent workers to uncertified locations in four states, failed to pay required travel and…
P.V. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Hampton VA Medical Center
Board recognizes thigh contusion but rejects additional claimed conditions (ECAB 25-0311)
A VA social worker reported injuries after her clothing caught on her desk during online training; she also described breathing problems after exposure to repair fumes. The Board found that the accepted incident and medical record established a right-thigh contusion. It found the evidence…
M.B. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Board upholds denial of hand-condition claim (ECAB 25-0298)
An immigration enforcement intelligence worker attributed numbness and carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands to typing, writing, and other computer work. OWCP accepted the described duties but denied the occupational disease claim. The Board found that some medical reports diagnosed carpal tunnel…
K.B. and Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service
Board upholds denial of emotional-condition claim over emailed form (ECAB 25-0229)
An IRS employee claimed an emotional condition after an administrative assistant emailed a form containing her Social Security number to five managers. She argued that the disclosure was intentional and that management did not safeguard the information. The Board found the evidence did not…
United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Transfer Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and American Federation of Government Employees, Council of Prison Locals 33, Local 171
Federal Transfer Center Oklahoma City and AFGE Local 171 (FLRA 0-AR-5961): Authority upholds bus-overtime award
The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not offer a senior bus-certified officer an overtime assignment for a trip that was instead staffed by less senior officers. An arbitrator found an enforceable past practice of assigning available bus officers by seniority and awarded the employee backpay with…
Bobby G. Ailstock, Jr. v. Greenbriar Minerals, LLC
Ailstock v. Greenbriar Minerals (BRB 24-0221): disability findings vacated for full evidence review
Bobby Ailstock sought black lung benefits after at least 22 years of underground coal mine work. The judge found that he did not have a totally disabling respiratory impairment and denied benefits. The Board held that the judge failed to consider fourteen pulmonary function studies in treatment…
John Francis Fitzpatrick v. General Dynamics
Fitzpatrick v. General Dynamics (BRB 23-0401): spine injury benefits denial affirmed
John Francis Fitzpatrick received compensation for a work-related right foot and ankle injury at General Dynamics. He later claimed that an examination of his foot caused a cervical spine injury and sought additional benefits. The Board upheld the judge's decision to credit an unrebutted medical…
J.M. and Department of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service
Board upholds denial of retinal injury claim (ECAB 25-0291)
A deputy marshal reported vision loss while lifting weights during an assigned fitness hour. Doctors diagnosed a detached left retina and a right retinal hole. The Board found that a physician’s statement linking the detachment to lifting lacked an explanation of how the exertion caused or…
R.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Miami Post Office
Board finds reconsideration request timely and returns foot claim (ECAB 25-0289)
A postal carrier sought reconsideration after OWCP denied a foot injury claim involving a package lifted from a truck. OWCP received the request on August 1, 2024, exactly one year after its August 1, 2023 merits decision, but treated it as late. The Board held that the request was timely and that…
R.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Minneapolis
Board upholds denial of shoulder-condition claim (ECAB 25-0240)
A postal parcel-machine operator attributed right shoulder and arm problems to his work. OWCP accepted the described work factors but denied the injury claim. The Board found that the medical reports did not provide a sufficiently reasoned link between those duties and the shoulder condition. It…
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.