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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W.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lawrenceville, GA
W.H. (ECAB 13-340): Leg schedule award denial upheld
W.H., a Postal Service mail handler, sought a schedule award after an accepted lumbar strain. FECA does not provide a schedule award for the spine itself, but a qualifying spinal nerve injury can support an award for a limb. His physician said he could not rate the legs under the applicable guide…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, New Jersey Performance & Distribution Center, Trenton, NJ
J.S. (ECAB 13-330): Right knee condition and award denials upheld
J.S., a Postal Service employee, had an accepted left knee injury and later sought recognition of a right knee condition and a right-leg schedule award. She argued that altered walking and added weight on the right side after left knee treatment caused the right knee disease. The impartial…
T.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Greenville, MI
T.B. (ECAB 13-70): Shoulder and neck injury denial upheld
T.B., a Postal Service employee, claimed shoulder and neck injuries after stacking and rearranging mail in November 2009. An earlier Board decision had found the medical evidence insufficient. On reconsideration, a physician reviewed the record and attributed several conditions to the incident, but…
G.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Jackson, MS
G.W. (ECAB 13-607): Late reconsideration request rejected
G.W., a Veterans Affairs program support assistant, attributed shoulder pain and carpal tunnel syndrome to repetitive duties. OWCP denied the claim in September 2011 because the medical evidence did not establish a causal link to her work. She requested reconsideration in November 2012 and…
G.G. and Department of the Navy, Marine Corps-Stations, Camp Lejeune, NC
G.G. (ECAB 13-573): Mold exposure claim denied for lack of medical causation evidence
G.G., a Marine Corps police officer, reported breathing symptoms, fatigue and other problems after working in a building with visible mold. His employer confirmed the workplace exposure. OWCP denied the claim because the medical evidence did not establish a work-related disease. The Board found…
E.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Newark, NJ
E.W. (ECAB 13-545): Termination of carpal tunnel benefits upheld
E.W., a Postal Service mail handler, had an accepted claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. Her treating physician and an OWCP examiner disagreed about whether she still needed treatment or had work restrictions, so OWCP obtained an impartial specialist’s examination. The specialist reviewed…
A.F. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Newark, NJ
A.F. (ECAB 13-520): Injury claim denial upheld after vehicle collision
A.F., a Customs and Border Protection port director, was involved in a multiple vehicle accident while working. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred but denied her injury claim because it found the medical evidence insufficient to link a diagnosed condition to the accident. Her physician…
P.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Little Rock, AK
P.G. (ECAB 13-475): Wage-earning capacity request sent back to OWCP
P.G., a Postal Service distribution clerk, had accepted work-related conditions and returned to a modified position. OWCP based a 1994 wage-earning capacity decision on her earnings in that position, reducing her wage-loss compensation to zero. After the position became unavailable, she argued that…
J.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
J.W. (ECAB 13-282): Postal worker's occupational disease denial upheld
J.W., a mail processor, claimed that years of repetitive work caused carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, right cubital tunnel syndrome, and a left trigger thumb. OWCP accepted that she performed the described work but denied the claim. The Board found that medical reports established the…
K.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charlotte, NC
K.S. (ECAB 13-212): Denial of cervical condition claim upheld
K.S., a mail processor, claimed that pushing and pulling at work aggravated a cervical condition involving incomplete fusion and fractured screws. OWCP denied her occupational disease claim, and she appealed. Her neurosurgeon identified the condition and her work duties but said the work possibly…
C.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Eatontown, NJ
C.C. (ECAB 13-518): Left hand and wrist claim denial upheld
C.C., a mail processing clerk, claimed that repetitive handling of mail caused tenosynovitis in her left hand and wrist. OWCP accepted that the June 2012 work events occurred but denied the claim for lack of a medical explanation connecting them to the condition. The Board found that reports from…
J.E. and Department of Homeland Security, Chula Vista, CA
J.E. (ECAB 13-508): Back condition claim denial upheld
J.E., a customs and border protection officer, claimed that his duties, including wearing a heavy duty belt, caused a low back condition. OWCP accepted the described work factors but denied his occupational disease claim for lack of medical evidence establishing a causal connection. An MRI report…
L.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bunker Hill, IL
L.H. (ECAB 13-474): Knee condition claim denial upheld
L.H., a rural mail carrier, claimed that 29 years of postal work caused or aggravated problems in both knees. OWCP initially denied the claim for lack of a medical diagnosis, then modified its denial because a causal link to work had not been established. Her orthopedic surgeon documented knee…
S.M. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Santa Rosa, CA
S.M. (ECAB 13-400): Stress claim returned for merit review
S.M., an air traffic control supervisor, claimed an emotional condition arising from his work environment and management duties. OWCP denied the claim and later refused to reopen it on reconsideration. New witness statements supported a disputed workplace incident, while his attorney advanced an…
W.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Raleigh, NC
W.B. (ECAB 13-375): Hernia claim denial upheld
W.B., a postal carrier, reported groin pain after stepping from his delivery vehicle while delivering a parcel. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied his claim for a right inguinal hernia. Imaging and surgery records documented the hernia and repairs, but the surgeon did not explain…
J.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tampa, FL
J.R. (ECAB 13-336): Overpayment finding set aside
J.R., a postal carrier receiving FECA disability compensation, also reported veterans’ disability benefits and elected federal retirement benefits retroactively. OWCP found an $89,062.79 overpayment on the premise that he had received retirement and FECA payments for the same period, and found him…
L.L. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, TN
L.L. (ECAB 13-253): Shoulder injury denial upheld
L.L., an electrician, claimed a left shoulder injury while removing electrical equipment at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim because he provided no qualifying medical opinion linking a shoulder condition to it. The treatment notes came from physical therapists and…
L.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tampa, FL
L.A. (ECAB 13-619): Late reconsideration denial upheld
L.A., a postal custodian, reported a knee injury from a fall at work but filed her claim more than three years after the alleged incident. OWCP denied the claim as untimely in August 2010. She requested reconsideration in June 2012, more than one year after that merit decision, and OWCP refused to…
N.D. and Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, KY
N.D. (ECAB 13-515): Back condition claim denial upheld
N.D., a lock and dam operator, experienced back pain while lifting electrical cables at work and claimed that the incident aggravated an existing sacroiliac joint condition. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied the claim for lack of medical proof of an injury caused by it. A…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Palmdale, CA
M.C. (ECAB 13-491): Continuation of pay denied for late form
M.C., a postal clerk, injured his right wrist at work and told his supervisor the next day. OWCP accepted the wrist sprain and paid compensation, but denied continuation of pay because he filed the required written claim more than 30 days after the injury. M.C. said he did not know the filing…
C.C. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Morrisville, NC
C.C. (ECAB 13-446): Termination of injury benefits reversed
C.C., a transportation security supervisor, received benefits for accepted neck, back, and sacroiliac conditions after lifting a bag at work. OWCP terminated her wage-loss and medical benefits after an impartial examiner concluded that her work injuries had resolved. The Board found that the…
R.Q. and Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, El Paso, TX
R.Q. (ECAB 13-275): Emotional condition claim denial upheld
R.Q., an immigration enforcement assistant, claimed that workplace conduct and personnel actions aggravated his emotional condition. His allegations included improper management conduct, harassment, discrimination, and interference with his career. OWCP denied the claim because the record did not…
M.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bedford Park, IL
M.S. (ECAB 13-158): Carpal tunnel claim denial upheld
M.S., a retired postal clerk, claimed that her work caused carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. OWCP accepted her work duties and the diagnosis but denied compensation for lack of medical evidence connecting them. Her hand specialist documented the condition without addressing work causation. An…
J.H. and Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH
J.H. (ECAB 12-1848): Termination of shoulder injury benefits upheld
J.H., a former Navy shipyard pipefitter, received benefits for an accepted left shoulder and arm strain from a 1977 lifting injury. OWCP ended his wage-loss and medical benefits after a second opinion examiner concluded that the accepted strain had resolved and his current shoulder symptoms were…
T.L. and Department of the Defense, Defense Agencies, Fort Eustis, VA
T.L. (ECAB 13-0538): Injury claim returned for a second medical opinion
T.L., a military pay technician, reported upper back pain after a metal service window fell and struck her at work. OWCP accepted that the incident happened but denied her injury claim for lack of a diagnosed condition linked to it. The Board had previously sent the claim back because OWCP’s…
J.R. and Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Great Lakes, IL
J.R. (ECAB 13-0499): Back injury claim denied for lack of evidence
J.R., a Navy electrical worker, claimed that drilling, bending, pulling wires, and other work caused back and leg pain. OWCP asked him for factual and medical evidence, but he did not respond before it denied his claim. The Board found that he had submitted no evidence to establish an occupational…
H.M. and Department of Health & Human Services, Health Service Administration, Phoenix, AZ
H.M. (ECAB 13-0440): Denial of back surgery authorization upheld
H.M., a nurse specialist, sustained an accepted lumbar strain when she reached for paper at work. She later requested authorization for spinal fusion and decompression surgery to address back and leg symptoms. OWCP’s second opinion surgeon found no remaining effects of the accepted strain and…
E.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Augusta, GA
E.B. (ECAB 13-0319): Termination of compensation for refusing work reversed
E.B., a former VA nurse, received compensation for accepted hand and wrist conditions and had other accepted injuries. OWCP ended her monetary compensation after she declined a light-duty patient services assistant position. An impartial physician said she could work with limits on bending…
M.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, North Metro, GA
M.E. (ECAB 13-0159): Schedule award denial and refusal to reopen upheld
M.E., a postal mail handler, sought a schedule award after an accepted work-related back injury. Her treating surgeon assessed 12 percent whole-body impairment, while OWCP’s medical adviser found no ratable impairment in her legs. The Board explained that FECA does not provide a schedule award for…
J.B. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, TN
J.B. (ECAB 13-0018): Lung disease claim returned for an impartial examination
J.B., a Tennessee Valley Authority maintenance supervisor, claimed lung disease from asbestos, coal dust, and flue gas exposure at work. His physicians interpreted chest x-rays as showing signs of pneumoconiosis, while OWCP’s second opinion physician found no asbestos or coal dust-related lung…
E.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Milwaukee, WI
E.L. (ECAB 12-1860): Recurrence claim denied without medical evidence
E.L., a postal carrier, received benefits for a right ankle sprain sustained while delivering mail in 2000. In 2012, she claimed that ankle pain and bone loss amounted to a recurrence of disability from that injury. OWCP asked for a medical report explaining her current condition and its connection…
George's Shop & Rock, Inc
. (FMSHRC WEST 2013-459-DM): Late discrimination complaint deemed timely
The Secretary alleged that George's Shop & Rock fired Michael L. Barlow because he complained about mine health conditions and participated in an MSHA inspection. The company moved to dismiss because Barlow filed his discrimination complaint more than 60 days after his termination. Judge David…
I.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Louisville, KY
I.M. (ECAB 13-0527): Reconsideration refusal returned for an explanation
I.M., a postal worker, sought reconsideration after OWCP denied his claim for a work-related emotional condition. OWCP found his request late and said only that he had not shown clear evidence of error. The Board agreed that the reconsideration request was untimely, but found that OWCP had not…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Airmail Facility, Seattle, WA
J.S. (ECAB 13-0523): Referee examination must use a certified pain specialist
J.S., a postal worker, had a long-running compensation dispute involving a medical conflict. The Board had twice directed OWCP to select a referee physician certified in the subspecialty of pain medicine. OWCP selected a physician certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, but did not…
T.P. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Warren, OH
T.P. (ECAB 13-0509): Overpayment fault finding returned for explanation
T.P., a postal worker, received compensation during a period after a court entered a guilty verdict concerning false information on OWCP forms. In an earlier appeal, the Board upheld the existence and amount of an $11,936 overpayment but directed OWCP to make findings about fault. OWCP’s new…
E.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Newark, NJ
E.W. (ECAB 13-0506): Right leg schedule award denial upheld
E.W., a postal letter carrier, sustained an accepted right knee sprain when she twisted her knee while leaving a work truck. She sought a schedule award based on a doctor’s nine percent right leg impairment rating. The doctor used findings from an examination more than six years earlier and based…
L.A. and Department of the Army, Fort Dix, NJ
L.A. (ECAB 13-0480): Injury claim denied for lack of medical causation
L.A., an Army human resources technician, slipped on ice in a work parking lot and claimed hip and back injuries. OWCP accepted that the fall occurred during her work but found insufficient medical evidence linking it to the claimed conditions. Her physicians also discussed earlier back symptoms…
J.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Erie, PA
J.V. (ECAB 13-0470): Late reconsideration refusal upheld
J.V., a postal worker, sought to reopen an earlier denial of her claim for a left shoulder injury from lifting a box. OWCP found her reconsideration request untimely and found no clear evidence of error in its last merits decision. The Board agreed that the request came more than one year after…
B.W. and Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN
B.W. (ECAB 13-0244): Parking lot injury claim denied over inconsistent accounts
B.W., a Department of Energy accountant, claimed a right leg injury while walking from an employee parking lot toward work. Her accounts differed about whether she slipped, twisted her leg, or was walking normally when her knee popped. Medical records also described the incident differently, and…
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Corpus Christi, TX
J.M. (ECAB 13-0009): Recurrence claim returned for proper adjudication
J.M., a postal building equipment mechanic, sought benefits for a recurrence of an accepted 2008 elbow and shoulder injury. OWCP converted his recurrence filing into new occupational disease claims and denied them. The Board found the basis of the denial unclear because OWCP had not decided the…
A.B. and Department of the Navy, Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA
A.B. (ECAB 12-1907): Hearing aid request returned for review of current evidence
A.B., a former Navy shipyard employee, had an accepted work-related hearing loss and sought hearing aids decades after his schedule award. A 2011 ear specialist’s report diagnosed hearing loss and recommended two hearing aids. OWCP denied the request based on a 1976 report that did not address the…
D.G. and Department of Veterans Affairs, West Side Medical Center, Chicago, IL
D.G. (ECAB 12-1869): Insurance premium overpayment returned for evidence review
OWCP alleged that D.G., a VA medical center employee, received a $2,804.68 overpayment because it had missed or underdeducted optional life insurance premiums. D.G. challenged the overpayment and submitted letters documenting her attempts to have OWCP correct the insurance deductions. OWCP…
L.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
L.W. (ECAB 12-1741): Part-time wages could not set full-time worker’s earning capacity
L.W., a postal mail handler, returned to modified work after an accepted shoulder and arm injury. She could work eight hours a day with restrictions, but the Postal Service offered her a modified position for only five hours a day. OWCP used her earnings from that position to determine her…
D.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
D.G. (ECAB 12-1719): Knee contusion accepted after parking lot collision
D.G., a postal letter carrier, was struck by a car while leaving her employer’s parking lot on a motorbike shortly after her shift. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred but denied her injury claim for lack of medical proof. The Board found that a physician’s diagnosis and prompt treatment…
P.L. and Department of Veterans Affairs, American Lake Veterans Administration Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
P.L. (ECAB 12-1640): Physical and emotional condition denials upheld
P.L., a VA housekeeping aide, attributed physical conditions and an emotional condition to his work. OWCP accepted his repetitive cleaning duties and a coworker’s threat as work factors but denied both claims. The Board found no medical opinion adequately connecting the physical conditions to the…
Secretary of Labor o/b/o Dustin Rodriguez
Layoff evidence required in temporary-reinstatement case
An administrative law judge temporarily reinstated Dustin Rodriguez after finding that his discrimination complaint against C.R. Meyer and Sons was not frivolously brought. The operator did not challenge that finding but argued that reinstatement should be tolled because Rodriguez would have been…
Omya California, Omya Inc.
Unchocked loader citation and $946 penalty affirmed
An Omya California front-end loader was left unattended on a five-percent grade without its wheels chocked or turned into a bank. The operator admitted violating the mobile-equipment standard but disputed the significant-and-substantial and fatal-gravity designations, pointing to the working…
Drummond Co., Inc.
Settlement filing rejected for inadequate explanations
Drummond and the Secretary submitted a proposed settlement covering 18 citations and $31,488 in originally assessed penalties. Judge Jeffrey Tureck rejected the filing because it did not provide the concrete explanations required for substantial reductions in gravity, negligence, and penalties. He…
J.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Kearny, NJ
J.C. (ECAB 13-0707): Foot condition claim returned for medical development
J.C., a postal mail handler, claimed foot fractures and heel conditions from years of standing, walking, and handling mail on hard floors. OWCP accepted the work activities but denied the claim for lack of sufficient medical proof of causation. Two treating doctors linked his diagnosed foot…
M.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Houston, TX
M.S. (ECAB 13-0560): Overpayment claim returned to establish work status
M.S., a VA medical records technician, received disability compensation after surgery for an accepted carpal tunnel condition. OWCP found that she had been overpaid for three days because her employer reported that she returned to work on November 15, 2012. M.S. disputed returning that day, and the…
E.A. and Department of the Army, Installation Management Command, White Sands, NM
E.A. (ECAB 13-0550): Seven percent right leg schedule award upheld
E.A., an Army water and waste systems mechanic, injured his knee in a work fall and underwent authorized surgery. His treating surgeon rated his right leg impairment at 10 percent, while OWCP’s medical adviser rated it at seven percent under the applicable impairment guides. The Board found the…
K.B. and Department of the Air Force, 259th Air Traffic Control Squadron, Alexandria, LA
K.B. (ECAB 13-0443): Hearing loss accepted but schedule award denied
K.B., an Air Force power support systems mechanic, had an accepted work-related hearing loss and reported tinnitus. Doctors disagreed about whether his hearing loss qualified for a schedule award, so OWCP obtained an impartial examination. The Board found that examiner’s audiogram showed no ratable…
P.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New York, NY
P.J. (ECAB 13-0376): Reconsideration refusal upheld without merits review
P.J., a postal carrier, sought to reopen a denied claim for a left knee condition after handling mail on a relay run. His reconsideration request repeated medical reports OWCP had already reviewed and argued that those reports were sufficient. The Board found no new relevant evidence, new legal…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Bellmawr, NJ
M.K. (ECAB 13-0323): New medical report requires merit review
M.K., a postal letter carrier, sought reconsideration after OWCP ended benefits for an accepted knee injury. She submitted a new doctor’s report assessing a three percent permanent impairment of her left leg. The Board found the report directly relevant to whether effects of the accepted injury…
R.M. and Department of the Navy, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA
R.M. (ECAB 13-0285): Impairment percentage upheld but award dates changed
R.M., a former Navy shipyard woodworker, received an additional schedule award for his accepted right knee condition. The Board found the medical evidence supported the additional 26 percent impairment rating, bringing total right leg impairment to 33 percent. It found OWCP had not justified…
T.E. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI
T.E. (ECAB 13-0099): Off-duty gym injury not covered as work injury
T.E., a VA police officer, injured his biceps while lifting weights at a private gym on a day off. He argued that exercise helped him meet fitness expectations and maintain an instructor certification. The Board found that the VA did not require or finance his gym activity, and the instructor role…
S.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Dominic V. Daniels Processing & Distribution Center, Kearny, NJ
S.K. (ECAB 12-1926): Knee disability recurrence returned for medical clarification
S.K., a postal clerk, received benefits for an accepted right knee sprain and claimed a recurrence after returning to work briefly. OWCP denied the claim, attributing her disability to an earlier knee condition unrelated to work. Her treating surgeon first released her without restrictions, then…
Stansley Mineral Resources, Inc.
Penalty raised to statutory $2,000 minimum
Stansley Mineral Resources admitted a machine-guarding violation, and the administrative law judge found it significant and substantial and caused by unwarrantable failure. The judge considered the statutory penalty factors but reduced the Secretary's proposed $2,000 penalty to $1,000 because of…
Matter of Diana MONTOYA-SILVA
A parent’s residence cannot be imputed for cancellation eligibility
The Board reviewed a Mexican lawful permanent resident's appeal after an Immigration Judge found her removable for attempting to smuggle an alien and denied her application for cancellation of removal. The Board held that a parent's lawful permanent resident status and residence cannot be…
K.J. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Louisville, KY
K.J. (ECAB 13-0702): Termination of back injury benefits upheld
K.J., a VA nursing assistant, received benefits after a patient threw her to the floor and OWCP accepted several back conditions. OWCP ended wage-loss and medical benefits after a second opinion examiner found no remaining effects of the accepted injury. The Board found that examination…
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.