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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D.G. and Department of the Air Force, 756th Air Base Group
Board upholds termination of long-running back benefits (ECAB 25-0024)
A former Air Force shelf stocker had received compensation for a back injury from a 1969 workplace incident. OWCP ended his wage-loss and medical benefits in August 2024. The Board credited a second-opinion physician who found the accepted conditions had resolved and attributed current lumbar…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Shaun Chapman v. Buchanan Minerals, LLC
Miner temporarily reinstated
Shaun Chapman, a roof bolter at Buchanan Mine, alleged that he raised safety concerns about rib support and dust conditions before Buchanan Minerals suspended and terminated him over alleged misuse of a personal dust monitor. The Secretary sought his temporary reinstatement while the discrimination…
Matter of Felipe Choc-Tut
Bond order vacated
The Department of Homeland Security appealed an Immigration Judge's order releasing the respondent on a $4,000 bond. The respondent had been arrested multiple times for driving and licensing offenses, including two arrests for driving under the influence with blood alcohol concentrations of .201…
Oldach Associates, LLC
In re Oldach Associates, LLC (EAB CAA Appeal No. 25-05C): bulk HFC import reporting settlement approved
Oldach Associates, LLC imported bulk R-410A and R-404A hydrofluorocarbons from China through the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Consent Agreement alleges that Oldach imported the substances without expending required allowances, failed to submit advance notification and quarterly reports, and…
Samuel L. Cummings, Jr. v. Island Creek Coal Company
Cummings v. Island Creek Coal (BRB 24-0017): denial affirmed after remand
Samuel Cummings sought black lung benefits after more than 20 years of underground coal mine work. The judge denied benefits because the evidence did not establish complicated pneumoconiosis, and the Sixth Circuit later sent the case back for a better analysis of two medical opinions. On remand…
A.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Columbia Post Office
Board dismisses appeal without reviewable OWCP decision (ECAB 25-0260)
A postal employee appealed a purported June 2024 OWCP decision. The Board may review a final adverse OWCP decision issued within 180 days before the appeal. The case record transmitted to the Board contained no such decision. The Board therefore dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction without…
H.H. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
Board upholds denial of stress claim after screening dispute (ECAB 25-0254)
A transportation security officer said a supervisor singled him out during a baggage-screening task, causing stress and anxiety. He claimed the supervisor wanted to get him in trouble. The Board found the record insufficient to show that pulling a bag for him to image was arbitrary or unfair…
L.O. and Social Security Administration
Board upholds overpayment and recovery deductions (ECAB 25-0183)
A Social Security Administration employee received FECA wage-loss benefits and Social Security age-related retirement benefits without the required offset. OWCP found a $4,591.13 overpayment for August 2023 through May 2024 and found her without fault. The Board upheld the amount and denial of…
P.K. and Department of Transportation, John Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Board returns impairment claim for new medical rating (ECAB 25-0181)
A transportation engineer sought a schedule award based on a previously accepted condition and submitted competing impairment reports. OWCP’s medical adviser rated no impairment using an earlier lung-function test but did not explain why he disregarded a later test with lower values. The Board…
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Rockford Post Office
Board upholds denial of left-leg claim (ECAB 25-0158)
A postal worker reported a left leg injury after falling from a customer’s steps in April 2022. Later medical reports described ankle and Achilles problems, including a separate March 2023 injury. The Board found that the submitted opinions did not adequately explain how the 2022 incident caused…
Secretary of Labor on behalf of Jamie M. Koslop v. Atlantic Carbon Group, Inc.
Miner temporarily reinstated after safety complaints
Jamie Koslop, a laborer at Atlantic Carbon's mines, alleged that he was fired after speaking with investigators following a fatal mine accident, reporting machinery and equipment hazards, seeking to become a miners' representative, and refusing a manlift assignment for which he said he lacked task…
Wyderka v. Energy Transfer
Pipeline whistleblower interlocutory appeal declined
Andrew Wyderka brought a Pipeline Safety Improvement Act whistleblower complaint against Energy Transfer. After the administrative judge denied the company's motion to dismiss, she certified the question whether the Seventh Amendment entitled the company to a jury trial. The Board explained that…
M.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Richmond Post Office
Board dismisses appeal filed years after deadline (ECAB 25-0282)
A postal employee appealed an August 2019 OWCP merits decision in September 2024. Board rules required the appeal within 180 days of the OWCP decision. The Board calculated that the filing period ended in February 2020 and found no basis in the record to excuse the delay. It dismissed the appeal…
S.W. and U.S. Postal Service, New Orleans Post Office
Board upholds denial of hand and knee claim and reopening request (ECAB 25-0261)
A postal human resources clerk attributed carpal tunnel syndrome and knee disease to repetitive hand tasks and prolonged standing at work. OWCP accepted the described duties but denied the claim for lack of adequate medical causation evidence. The Board affirmed that denial. It also upheld OWCP’s…
P.S. and Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Lassen National Forest
Board upholds overpayment and recovery deductions (ECAB 25-0258)
A Forest Service worker received FECA wage-loss benefits and Social Security age-related retirement benefits without the required offset. OWCP found a $38,015.95 overpayment for May 2017 through June 2024 and found her without fault. The Board upheld the overpayment and denial of waiver. It also…
J.D. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Board reverses unsupported retirement-benefit overpayment (ECAB 25-0170)
A National Park Service worker received FECA compensation and Social Security retirement benefits. OWCP claimed a $97,602.81 overpayment based on an offset for Federal Employees Retirement System benefits and ordered deductions from continuing compensation. The Board found no evidence that the…
S.L. and Department of Defense, Defense Commissary Agency
Board upholds denial of COVID-19 claim from work travel (ECAB 25-0164)
A Defense Commissary Agency safety specialist said he developed COVID-19 after temporary duty travel to Naples, Italy. OWCP accepted the reported work exposure but denied the claim. Physicians described symptoms and a positive home test, yet did not explain why no positive laboratory test result…
Priddle v. United Airlines, Inc.
AIR21 complaint untimely after definitive exam notice
United Airlines pilot Soma Priddle alleged retaliation after reporting two in-flight emergencies and later being ordered to undergo a medical examination with a company-selected psychiatrist. She filed her AIR21 complaint on May 15, 2019. The Board held that United gave her final, definitive, and…
J.H. and Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Board upholds denial of arm and emotional-condition claim (ECAB 25-0259)
A management analyst said he injured his right arm while trying to regain control of a heavy box at work and later experienced emotional distress. Physicians diagnosed ulnar nerve conditions and anxiety, but several reports did not address causation. The Board found the medical evidence…
C.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, East Orange VA Medical Center
Board upholds claim denial without a medical diagnosis (ECAB 25-0252)
A VA employee reported left leg and hip pain while using stairs at work. OWCP accepted the reported work factor and requested medical support for the claim. The worker supplied no medical evidence before OWCP’s decision. The Board affirmed denial because the record did not establish a diagnosed…
R.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Oak Park Station
Board upholds large overpayment and denial of waiver (ECAB 25-0033)
A postal worker receiving FECA wage-loss compensation also received Social Security age-related retirement benefits without the required offset during two periods. OWCP calculated a $156,546.42 overpayment and found her without fault. The Board upheld the amount. It also affirmed denial of waiver…
A.N. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Division of Nuclear Power
Board upholds denial of long-distance treatment travel (ECAB 24-0824)
A Tennessee Valley Authority technician sought mileage reimbursement for a January 2024 treatment visit in Nashville after an accepted back injury. The round trip was 294 miles. The Board found that she had not shown why that distance was necessary, why closer treatment was unavailable, or that the…
N.R. and Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau
Board returns medical travel dispute for reasoned OWCP decision (ECAB 22-0958)
A Census Bureau clerk sought reimbursement for travel to medical appointments after an accepted back and neck injury. OWCP allowed some mileage but summarily rejected the remaining requests without explaining which treatment was unrelated to the accepted injury. The Board found that OWCP had not…
D.O. and U.S. Postal Service, Atlanta Post Office
Board upholds wage reduction and employment-related overpayment (ECAB 25-0221)
A postal worker returned to employment as a claims specialist after an accepted shoulder injury. OWCP reduced wage-loss benefits based on her actual earnings. It also found that she had failed to report work activity on a required earnings form, forfeiting compensation for a past period and…
D.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Bedford Park Post Office
Board upholds denial of claimed disability period (ECAB 25-0218)
A postal delivery worker had an accepted right rotator cuff tear and sought compensation for time off from November 2022 through early January 2023. The Board found that a later physician note discussed lifting restrictions but did not identify the specific dates of disability claimed. The…
A.D. and Department of the Navy, Marine Recruit Depot
Board upholds denial of bicycle-fall claim outside duty (ECAB 25-0208)
A Navy welder fractured his hip after falling from a bicycle on the employer’s premises. He said he was participating in a fitness program, but the Board found his authorization had expired and the accident did not occur on a scheduled exercise day. The record did not show he was doing assigned…
D.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Westchester Vehicle Maintenance Facility
Board returns workplace stress claim for employer evidence (ECAB 25-0199)
A postal vehicle-maintenance manager claimed anxiety and depression from repeated criticism and accusations at work. OWCP asked the Postal Service for supervisor and witness statements about his allegations and gave it 30 days to respond. It denied the claim the next day, before that period…
D.A. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
Board recognizes mandatory training as work factor and returns stress claim (ECAB 23-0564)
A TSA security administrator said mandatory active-shooter training triggered symptoms associated with preexisting post-traumatic stress disorder. OWCP denied the claim after finding no compensable work factor. The Board found that watching and discussing the required training video and acting out…
Thomas v. DuPont Specialty Products USA, LLC
Environmental whistleblower complaint affirmed untimely
Tesia Thomas alleged that DuPont Specialty Products and On-Board Services retaliated after she raised concerns about a leaking fume hood, locked it out, and contacted OSHA. Her employment ended on April 11, 2022, but she did not file claims under the Clean Air Act, Federal Water Pollution Control…
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, New Kensington Post Office
Board upholds overpayment and recovery deductions (ECAB 25-0246)
A postal worker received FECA wage-loss benefits and Social Security retirement benefits without the required offset during two periods. OWCP found a $53,850.71 overpayment and found him without fault. The Board upheld the overpayment and denial of waiver. It also approved recovery through $1,400…
S.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center
Board upholds denial of claimed treatment-time wages (ECAB 25-0157)
A VA nurse with an accepted ankle and foot injury sought wage-loss compensation for time spent obtaining treatment on several days in May 2024. OWCP paid for other appointment dates but denied the disputed May dates. The Board found no medical evidence establishing treatment for the accepted injury…
K.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Bennington Post Office
Board finds reconsideration request timely and returns claim (ECAB 25-0156)
A postal custodial worker requested reconsideration after OWCP denied her back injury claim. OWCP’s last merits decision was dated May 31, 2023, and it received her request on May 31, 2024. OWCP treated that request as late and required proof of clear error. The Board held the request was timely…
F.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center
Board upholds denial of intermittent wage-loss claim (ECAB 25-0094)
A postal equipment operator sought wage-loss benefits for intermittent absences between June 2020 and September 2021 after an accepted left wrist condition. A physician listed days she had been away from work but did not adequately explain why the accepted injury made her unable to work on each…
National Labor Relations Board Union and National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board Union and NLRB (FLRA 0-AR-5974): Authority upholds private-office allocation ruling
The National Labor Relations Board Union claimed that professional employees working in the office at least five days per pay period were entitled to private offices through all future space changes. An arbitrator read the agreement as providing private offices under the current configuration and…
K.H. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Board upholds denial of pay continuation for volunteer (ECAB 25-0247)
A VA volunteer fractured her left arm after tripping while watering plants. OWCP accepted the injury as work-related service but denied continuation of pay. The Board held that the regulation excludes unpaid volunteers from continuation of pay even when their injury is covered by FECA. It affirmed…
M.K. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration
Board returns overlapping work-condition claims for combined review (ECAB 25-0184)
A VA accountant filed separate claims involving spine and hand conditions associated with similar office duties, including typing. OWCP decided the current claim without combining the related case files. The Board found that the overlapping work factors and conditions required combined review to…
T.H. and Department of the Navy, Naval Weapons Station Concord, Mare Island Annex
Board reverses retirement-offset overpayment (ECAB 25-0151)
A former Navy worker received FECA compensation and Social Security age-related retirement benefits. OWCP claimed a $1,585.64 overpayment using an offset for Federal Employees Retirement System benefits. The worker’s personnel form identified Civil Service Retirement System coverage, and the Board…
N.M. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami VA Healthcare System
Board reverses termination of asthma-related wage benefits (ECAB 24-0663)
A VA medical supply technician had an accepted respiratory condition related to workplace chemical exposure. Her treating physicians imposed permanent restrictions against further exposure, while an OWCP examiner said the controlled asthma allowed unrestricted work. The Board found the medical…
Vernon E. Cottrell v. Director, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs
Cottrell v. Director (BRB 24-0013): subsequent black lung claim denied
Vernon Cottrell sought black lung benefits in a subsequent claim after reporting work at coal mine sites. The administrative law judge credited about 1.76 years of coal mine employment and found that Cottrell had not established pneumoconiosis or a totally disabling respiratory impairment. The…
E.G. and Department of the Air Force, Air Training Command
Board dismisses appeal from internal OWCP memorandum (ECAB 25-0266)
An Air Force employee appealed a purported December 2024 OWCP decision. The case record contained a document from that date, but the Board identified it as an internal memorandum. Because the memorandum was not a final adverse decision and the record contained no other reviewable decision in the…
T.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Coppell Post Office
Board upholds denial of disability recurrence claim (ECAB 25-0190)
A postal carrier assistant had an accepted left-leg injury from a dog bite. She later sought compensation for disability from March to April and August to September 2024. The Board found that the submitted medical reports did not establish that the accepted injury made her unable to work during…
C.Y. and U.S. Postal Service, Oak Street Post Office
Board returns lower-extremity claim for impartial medical review (ECAB 25-0149)
A postal carrier sought to add knee, ankle, and foot conditions to a claim accepted after a 2014 work injury. OWCP’s examiner said those conditions were unrelated to the injury, while the worker’s physicians linked them to the work event and duties. The Board found an unresolved conflict between…
D.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Durham VA Medical Center
Board upholds refusal to add thoracic condition (ECAB 25-0120)
A VA nurse injured her ribs in a workplace fall and sought to add a thoracic spine condition to the accepted claim. The Board reviewed medical reports diagnosing thoracic subluxation and evidence of a preexisting spinal condition. It found the submitted opinions insufficient to explain how the…
C.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Boggs Road Post Office
Board orders renewed hand impairment review (ECAB 25-0217)
A postal carrier sought a larger schedule award after fractures and other injuries to her left hand. OWCP awarded two percent impairment of the left upper extremity based on a medical adviser’s rating. The Board found the medical assessment incomplete under the applicable impairment guides. It set…
W.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center
Board denies additional lung impairment award (ECAB 24-0940)
A VA rehabilitation technician sought a schedule award for permanent lung impairment from accepted blastomycosis. His treating physician rated substantial impairment, but a district medical adviser disagreed. OWCP obtained an impartial medical examination to resolve the conflict. The Board gave…
V.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board orders a new explanation of recurrence denial (ECAB 23-0476)
A postal letter carrier sought compensation for continuing foot problems after OWCP ended benefits for an accepted injury. OWCP denied her later recurrence claim by referring to the earlier termination without explaining the new decision. The Board found that OWCP had failed to provide findings and…
V.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Point Breeze Station
Board denies disability period but reverses duplicate-payment debt (ECAB 22-1036)
A postal worker sought disability compensation for time off in early 2022 after an accepted injury. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to establish disability for that period and affirmed denial. OWCP had also claimed she received duplicate compensation for a 2020 period after…
L.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Eutaw Station
Board orders further review of shoulder injury claim (ECAB 25-0241)
A postal carrier claimed that years of repetitive lifting, carrying, and overhead reaching caused a right rotator cuff tear. OWCP denied the occupational disease claim. The Board found a physician’s report insufficient to prove causation by itself but detailed enough to require further development…
M.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Linthicum
Board upholds benefit overpayment recovery (ECAB 25-0198)
A postal mail handler received FECA wage-loss payments while also receiving Social Security retirement benefits attributable to federal service. OWCP found an overpayment of $34,096.27 for August 2022 through March 2024. The Board upheld that calculation and found that repayment was required even…
C.C. and Peace Corps, Volunteer Services
Board denies Peace Corps dental claim and reconsideration (ECAB 25-0191)
A Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica sought compensation for dental problems during her service. The Board found medical evidence indicating that the dental defects predated service, rebutting the presumption that they arose in the performance of duty. It found no sufficient proof of a…
T.S. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York
Board rejects vaccine mandate stress claim (ECAB 25-0141)
A Coast Guard vessel traffic operator claimed a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate aggravated a preexisting emotional condition. The Board treated implementation of the mandate as an administrative matter. It found no evidence of employer error or abuse that would make the matter a compensable…
Schindler Elevator Corporation
General-industry citations vacated for construction work
Schindler Elevator was replacing and upgrading 49 elevators at a Houston office tower under a project valued at more than $24 million. OSHA cited three serious violations under general-industry personal protective equipment and lockout-tagout standards, with $26,787 in proposed penalties. Schindler…
J.H. and Department of the Navy, Naval Weapons Station
Board dismisses late Navy employee appeal (ECAB 25-0274)
A Navy employee appealed a March 30, 2023 OWCP decision to the Board on March 20, 2024. Board rules allowed 180 days to file. The Board found that the appeal came after the September 26, 2023 deadline and that no supported compelling circumstances excused the delay. It dismissed for lack of…
D.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Centennial Post Office
Board dismisses appeal from claim acceptance (ECAB 25-0264)
A postal worker appealed an OWCP decision that had accepted her injury claim. The Board explained that it can review only final adverse OWCP decisions. The acceptance decision was favorable, and the record showed no other appealable decision. It dismissed the appeal without deciding any benefit…
M.C. and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Board grants continuation of pay after training injury (ECAB 25-0235)
A customs officer injured her left knee during a training scenario and promptly filed a traumatic injury claim. OWCP accepted the knee strain but denied continuation of pay based on a suitable-work issue. The Board found that she met the requirements for continuation of pay and that the separate…
A.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Pocoshock Creek Post Office
Board orders new leg impairment assessment (ECAB 25-0185)
A postal letter carrier sought a schedule award greater than the 32 percent right leg impairment already awarded after a hip fracture. OWCP’s second opinion addressed the hip but not a preexisting right knee condition. The Board found that the knee condition needed to be considered in rating…
K.Y. and U.S. Postal Service, Lee Vista Processing and Distribution Center
Board orders renewed disability review (ECAB 24-0944)
A postal tractor trailer operator sought wage-loss compensation for July 2020 through January 2023 after an accepted back injury. OWCP obtained a second opinion that limited him to four hours of sedentary work but did not ask the doctor to address the claimed period. The Board found that OWCP had…
J.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office
Board dismisses appeal filed after 180-day period (ECAB 25-0279)
A postal employee appealed a July 30, 2024 OWCP decision on January 29, 2025. The Board found that the 180-day filing period had expired and that the employee had not documented compelling circumstances for the delay. It dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
R.R. and U.S. Postal Service, West Milwaukee Post Office
Board orders independent examination of carpal tunnel claim (ECAB 25-0220)
A postal carrier claimed that repetitive mail handling caused bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. His treating physician explained a work-related mechanism, while OWCP’s second opinion physician rejected a causal link. The Board found a conflict between the medical opinions. It directed OWCP to…
D.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Boggs Road Post Office
Board finds reconsideration request timely (ECAB 25-0219)
A postal city carrier sought reconsideration of a decision denying disability compensation after a vehicle collision. OWCP treated his July 1, 2024 request as late because the earlier decision was issued June 29, 2023. The Board found that the one-year deadline fell on a Saturday, making the…
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.