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.
R.L. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Jackson, MS
R.L. (ECAB 10-0410): Ankle benefits termination upheld after sprain resolved
R.L., a Veterans Affairs mail clerk, received compensation after spraining his left ankle while delivering mail at work. OWCP later ended both wage-loss and medical benefits. The Board credited a referral surgeon's examination and imaging review, which showed a stable ankle and no remaining effects…
J.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Shawnee Mission, KS
J.D. (ECAB 10-0408): Late reconsideration request showed no clear error
J.D., a postal rural carrier, had an accepted scalp laceration after striking her head on a mailbox and sought to add postconcussion symptoms and vision problems to her claim. OWCP denied that expansion in a July 2007 merits decision. She requested reconsideration in June 2009, more than a year…
T.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chicago, IL
T.C. (ECAB 10-0204): No larger award without a higher knee impairment rating
T.C., a postal letter carrier, received a schedule award for 28 percent left leg impairment after a work-related knee condition. She sought an increase in October 2008. Her treating surgeon later said the knee had worsened but did not provide a new permanent impairment rating. An OWCP medical…
W.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Central Alabama Healthcare System, Montgomery, AL
W.C. (ECAB 10-0109): Emotional condition claim denied after review of workplace allegations
W.C. worked in a Veterans Affairs pharmacy and attributed an emotional condition to workplace drawings, comments, and visits by a retired pharmacy chief. An earlier Board decision sent the case back for OWCP to address those allegations. The Board found that the employer gave reasonable…
J.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Newark, NJ
J.M. (ECAB 09-2230): Knee award sent back for documented impartial examination
J.M., a postal mail carrier, injured her right knee when a car struck her at work and later received schedule awards totaling 18 percent impairment of her right leg. Doctors disagreed about how to rate the impairment, and OWCP relied on a physician it designated as impartial. The Board found no…
R.C. and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, St. Louis, MO
R.C. (ECAB 09-2161): Compensation reduced after refusal of vocational rehabilitation
R.C., a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer, received wage-loss compensation after a work-related back injury. Medical assessments found that he could do restricted or sedentary work, and OWCP referred him to vocational rehabilitation. The Board found that OWCP gave him notice and an…
E.D. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Surfside Beach, SC
E.D. (ECAB 09-2001): Separate occupational disease claim denied for one-day injury
E.D., a postal letter carrier, had two compensation files: one for a fall down stairs at work and another labeled as an occupational disease claim. OWCP had accepted a shoulder injury and later certain mood and anxiety conditions from the fall in the traumatic injury file. The Board found that…
L.G. and Department of the Navy, Naval Electronics System Communication, Charleston, SC
L.G. (ECAB 09-1692): Medical benefit termination reversed for insufficient medical evidence
L.G. worked for the Navy and had accepted conditions following workplace exposure to paint fumes. OWCP terminated medical benefits for dysphagia and chronic pharyngitis, relying on a second opinion from Dr. Robert Marwick. The Board found that his brief reports described only one exposure although…
W.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, London, KY
W.H. (ECAB 09-1642): Termination of lumbar injury benefits upheld
W.H., a postal mail handler, reported a left hip injury after a hamper of mail struck him at work. OWCP accepted an aggravation of lumbar degenerative disc disease and later terminated compensation. His treating physician said he remained disabled, while a second opinion physician found no…
Baker Rock Crushing Company
Two citations sustained, one vacated
MSHA cited Baker Rock Crushing Company for housekeeping, machine guarding, and electrical-conductor conditions at its Farmington Pit quarry. Judge David F. Barbour affirmed the housekeeping citation and assessed $100. He upheld the guarding violation but changed the injury likelihood to unlikely…
N.N. and U.S. Postal Service, Southeastern Pennsylvania P & DC, Southeastern, PA
N.N. (ECAB 10-0355): No additional award for right arm impairment
N.N., a postal distribution clerk, had received a schedule award for 13 percent impairment of her right arm after an accepted wrist sprain. On remand from an earlier Board decision, OWCP obtained another examination that rated her impairment at three percent under the fifth edition of the A.M.A…
N.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Brooklyn, NY
N.F. (ECAB 10-0320): Duplicate medical report did not reopen schedule award claim
N.F., a postal mail handler, received a schedule award for 23 percent impairment of his right arm after an accepted hand injury. He asked OWCP to reconsider the award and submitted a copy of a medical report already in the record. OWCP declined to reopen the claim. The Board found that N.F. had…
S.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Fredericksburg, VA
S.B. (ECAB 09-2254): Back injury claim denied for lack of medical explanation
S.B., a rural postal carrier, said she hurt her back and right leg when she tripped over a rubber mat at work. She later underwent back surgery. OWCP accepted that the trip occurred but denied her injury claim because it found the medical evidence did not connect the diagnosed conditions to that…
K.M. and Department of the Army, Army National Guard, Smyrna, TN
K.M. (ECAB 09-2228): Workplace noise not shown to cause hearing loss
K.M., an Army National Guard surface maintenance mechanic, reported noise exposure from tools, generators, and vehicle engines at work. He sought compensation for hearing loss. An examining physician compared audiograms from 1987 and 2009 and concluded that the change did not exceed what would be…
P.B. and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tonalea, AZ
P.B. (ECAB 09-2222): Back injury question returned for another medical opinion
P.B., a Bureau of Indian Affairs employee, fell from a ladder at work. OWCP accepted several knee, ankle, and elbow conditions but denied that the fall caused a back injury. After an earlier Board remand, OWCP asked a consulting physician to evaluate the back question. His first report focused on…
M.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Ocean City, NJ
M.B. (ECAB 09-2169): Left knee schedule award returned for medical clarification
M.B., a postal clerk, sought a schedule award after OWCP accepted internal derangement of her left knee from a workplace fall. Her physician and an OWCP medical adviser gave different impairment ratings, so OWCP sent her to an impartial examiner. The Board found the examiner was selected properly…
A.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Philadelphia, PA
A.H. (ECAB 09-2168): Right arm impairment award returned for impartial review
A.H., a postal distribution clerk, injured her right shoulder while lifting mail and later sought a schedule award. Her physician rated right arm impairment at 23 percent, while an OWCP medical adviser rated it at four percent. They disagreed about whether strength loss, shoulder surgery, and pain…
L.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Egg Harbor Township, NJ
L.W. (ECAB 09-2149): Left wrist benefit termination and consequential claims upheld
L.W., a postal mail processor, received compensation for accepted left wrist tendinitis, tenosynovitis, and a ganglion cyst. OWCP later terminated benefits after an impartial orthopedic examiner found that those conditions had resolved. The Board gave his detailed examination special weight and…
L.W. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Grand Rapids, MI
L.W. (ECAB 09-2125): Right shoulder surgery authorization denied
L.W., a postal letter carrier, was rear-ended in a work-related vehicle accident. OWCP accepted several neck, back, and leg conditions, but did not accept a right shoulder condition. Her treating surgeon requested arthroscopic shoulder surgery and attributed a cyst to the accident. OWCP obtained an…
A.K. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Seattle, WA
A.K. (ECAB 10-0277): Baggage screener's arm strain claim denied
A.K., a Transportation Security Administration baggage screener, reported repetitive lifting and repacking of heavy items at work. OWCP accepted that she performed those tasks but denied her claim for right arm and shoulder strain. Her physician diagnosed a strain and restricted her work, yet his…
L.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Tuscon, AZ
L.G. (ECAB 10-0267): Late request for written-record review denied
L.G., a postal carrier with accepted back, shoulder, and neck conditions, sought reimbursement for a mattress set and exercise bike. OWCP denied those items on March 5, 2009. She requested a review of the written record more than 30 days later, after the period for review as a matter of right had…
T.L. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Omaha, NE
T.L. (ECAB 10-0246): Benefit suspension upheld after missed medical examination
T.L., a Transportation Security Administration employee with accepted left arm conditions, sought a schedule award. When she did not submit an impairment report from her own physician, OWCP scheduled a second opinion examination. She missed the appointment and did not respond to OWCP's 14-day…
S.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Dallas, TX
S.A. (ECAB 10-0058): $706.20 overpayment and denial of waiver upheld
S.A., a postal mail processor, returned to work while still receiving wage-loss compensation. OWCP calculated that it had paid her $706.20 for seven days after her return, when she was earning wages. It found her without fault and gave her a chance to submit income, expense, and asset information…
W.E. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Magnolia, AR
W.E. (ECAB 09-2196): Left leg schedule award returned for corrected rating
W.E., a postal rural carrier, sustained a pelvic fracture and other accepted conditions in a work-related vehicle crash. OWCP awarded compensation for 19 percent permanent impairment of his left leg. The Board found several errors in the medical ratings behind that award: the examiner understated…
R.G. and General Services Administration, Kansas City, MO
R.G. (ECAB 09-2118): Left arm benefit termination upheld
R.G., a General Services Administration warehouse worker, had accepted left shoulder and elbow conditions after lifting freight. His treating physician said he remained unable to work, while OWCP's examiners found fewer or no continuing restrictions. A later impartial orthopedic examiner reviewed…
K.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Cleveland, OH
K.L. (ECAB 09-2053): Wage-loss claim denied for lack of disability proof
K.L., a postal mail processor, had accepted herniated cervical disc and radiculopathy conditions and claimed wage-loss compensation for a period when she said she could not work. Several treating physicians wrote slips or reports excusing her from work, while other physicians found she could work…
D.C. and Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Yellowstone Park, WY
D.C. (ECAB 09-2042): Seasonal worker's overpayment and recovery upheld
D.C., a National Park Service motor vehicle operator, was injured while working a temporary seasonal job. OWCP initially calculated compensation using a weekly pay rate based on full-year employment, then determined that his actual and comparable earnings supported a lower weekly rate of $531.32…
B.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Dallas, TX
B.S. (ECAB 09-1650): Emotional condition claim denied without a proven work factor
B.S., a postal customer service supervisor, attributed anxiety and panic attacks to staffing decisions, work assignments, discipline, and what she described as disrespectful treatment by managers. The Board treated those complaints as administrative or personnel matters unless supported by evidence…
Frazier Masonry Corporation
Scaffold fall citation vacated for lack of employee proof
An OSHA compliance officer observed three people working near an unguarded opening on a 38-foot scaffold for about fifteen minutes without other fall protection. The judge found that the scaffold standard applied and that the observed condition violated its terms. OSHA did not identify the three…
R.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Addison, NY
R.H. (ECAB 10-0298): Late reconsideration did not show clear error
R.H., a postal letter carrier, had previously been denied a claim alleging that his work duties caused hip pain. Years after the merits denial, he asked OWCP to reconsider and supplied reports from a physician who linked his back, hip, and foot problems to his work duties. The Board found the…
D.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Detroit, MI
D.M. (ECAB 10-0244): Continuing disability after benefit termination not established
D.M., a postal letter carrier, had accepted ankle conditions and post-traumatic stress disorder following a dog bite at work. OWCP ended his medical and compensation benefits after an impartial psychiatrist found no continuing psychiatric disability. D.M. appealed a later decision finding no…
N.P. and Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Carson, CO
N.P. (ECAB 10-0168): Hearing abandonment reversed after notice sent to old address
N.P., an Army pharmacist, requested an oral hearing after OWCP denied her injury and recurrence claims. She put a new return address on her hearing request and envelope, but OWCP mailed the hearing notice to an older address. She did not appear, and OWCP ruled that she had abandoned the request…
M.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Wilkes Barre, PA
M.C. (ECAB 10-0156): Emotional condition claim lacked a substantiated work factor
M.C., a dental hygienist at a Veterans Affairs medical center, attributed an emotional condition to a supervisor's comments, alleged harassment, and disciplinary actions. The Board found that the record did not substantiate harassment or retaliation, and that the described comments did not amount…
K.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Cheshire Post Office, Cheshire, OH
K.G. (ECAB 10-0137): Benefit suspension reversed for missing second notice
K.G., a postal clerk with accepted lumbar strain and sciatica, missed a functional capacity evaluation on July 22, 2009. OWCP sent her a notice allowing 14 days to explain and rescheduled the evaluation for July 30. She missed that appointment as well, and OWCP suspended benefits without sending a…
L.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration West Side Medical Center, Hines, IL
L.W. (ECAB 10-0107): Emotional condition claim denied for lack of medical causation
L.W., a Veterans Affairs foreman, attributed an emotional condition to discrimination and hostile treatment at work. OWCP recognized three compensable factors: denial of a promotion in 1986, a supervisor yelling at him in a 2005 meeting, and improper denial of leave. The Board found that his…
B.T. and Department of Defense, District Depot Red River, Texarkana, TX
B.T. (ECAB 09-2190): Compensation forfeiture upheld after unreported work and fraud conviction
B.T., a Department of Defense crane operator, received wage-loss compensation after accepted injuries. On required reporting forms he stated that he had no employment or earnings, although the record showed work for a family business. He later did not return another requested form and was convicted…
R.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Houston, TX
R.V. (ECAB 09-2115): Emotional condition claim not reopened for merits review
R.V., a postal letter carrier, attributed depression and anxiety to alleged harassment and an investigative interview with his supervisor. OWCP had denied his claim after finding no established compensable work factor. In seeking reconsideration, R.V. submitted medical and leave records and argued…
B.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chicago, IL
B.T. (ECAB 09-2073): Late reconsideration did not reopen knee surgery denial
B.T., a postal employee, had previously sought authorization for right knee arthroscopic surgery after a workplace fall. OWCP denied surgery based on an impartial medical opinion and last reviewed that issue on the merits in March 2004. Later reconsideration requests arrived more than a year after…
L.G. and Architect of the Capitol, Washington, DC
L.G. (ECAB 10-0637): Wage-loss claim after back contusion denied
L.G., an Architect of the Capitol electrician, fell when a floor panel gave way at work. OWCP accepted a back contusion, and he later sought wage-loss compensation for time beginning February 28, 2008. The Board found that contemporaneous medical notes did not explain how the accepted injury…
B.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Springfield, MA
B.S. (ECAB 10-0188): Wage-earning capacity claim not reopened
B.S., a postal employee with accepted back and emotional conditions, challenged an OWCP determination that she could earn wages as an accounting clerk. She argued in a later reconsideration request that OWCP had failed to consider her work-related back injury. The Board found that OWCP had already…
J.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Baltimore, MD
J.S. (ECAB 10-0117): Emotional condition denial and hearing abandonment upheld
J.S., a postal customer service manager, attributed anxiety, insomnia, and depression to feeling overburdened at work. OWCP asked him to identify specific duties or incidents and explain his claim, but he did not provide further factual details. The Board found no evidence that the employer…
K.V. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX
K.V. (ECAB 10-0092): Termination of compensation upheld
K.V., a food service cook supervisor at a federal medical center, fell at work in 1999. OWCP accepted several contusions and a cervical strain, and later terminated her compensation after an impartial examination. Her treating physician disputed that the work-related conditions had resolved. The…
P.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, San Francisco, CA
P.M. (ECAB 09-2189): Refusal to reopen emotional condition claim upheld
P.M., a postal clerk, claimed stress, insomnia, and headaches after a manager suspected that he and a coworker had been drinking before work. OWCP denied his emotional condition claim, and a hearing representative upheld that denial. P.M. sought reconsideration with witness statements and arguments…
C.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Salt Lake City, UT
C.B. (ECAB 09-2185): Rescission of recurrence and wage capacity rulings upheld
C.B., a postal carrier with an accepted left shoulder condition, was working 30 hours a week in a light-duty assignment. He voluntarily bid on a 20-hour weekly carrier route and claimed a recurrence of disability for the resulting loss of hours. OWCP initially accepted the recurrence and paid…
J.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Pittsburgh, PA
J.J. (ECAB 09-2108): Back injury claim returned for medical development
J.J., a postal rehabilitation clerk, reported back pain after lifting a ream of paper at work. OWCP accepted that the incident occurred but denied his injury claim for insufficient medical proof. The Board found that the physicians' reports were incomplete yet consistently supported a possible link…
D.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Newburg, NY
D.M. (ECAB 09-1815): Intermittent disability claims denied
D.M., a postal clerk, injured her head and neck at work and later performed a light-duty assignment. She claimed several periods of disability after experiencing neck pain while sorting mail. OWCP denied the claims based on an impartial neurologist's opinion that her accepted conditions did not…
L.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Hillsborough, NC
L.T. (ECAB 09-1798): Injury denial upheld, reconsideration refusal vacated
L.T., a rural postal carrier, broke her ankle after slipping on ice while walking from her home to her car before work. The Board held that she had not yet entered the vehicle or begun the trip to work, so it upheld OWCP's denial of the claim on the existing record. In a later reconsideration…
Little Buck Coal Company
Roof-control order vacated
MSHA alleged that a miner worked under unsupported roof while developing an angled heading at Little Buck Coal Company's anthracite mine. The agency proposed a $6,624 penalty for a violation of 30 C.F.R. § 75.202(a), after withdrawing its original flagrant designation. Judge Michael E. Zielinski…
E.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, St. Paul, MN
E.A. (ECAB 10-0268): Wrist injury claim reopened for merits review
E.A., a postal mail processing clerk, fractured her wrist when she fell on a walkway at work after returning from lunch. OWCP denied her claim because it found that she was not performing work duties when she fell. In her reconsideration request, she provided a more detailed account of returning to…
T.H. and Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, Toledo, OH
T.H. (ECAB 10-0140): Knee disability recurrence denial upheld
T.H., a corrections officer, injured his right knee at work and later performed four hours of light duty each day. He stopped working in January 2009, reporting that his knee locked and that he expected to undergo surgery. OWCP denied his claim for a recurrence of total disability. The Board found…
B.J., claiming as widow of P.J., and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Memphis, TN
B.J., widow of P.J. (ECAB 10-0036): Death benefit claim returned for impartial medical review
P.J., a postal letter carrier, had an accepted employment-related aggravation of major depression and later died with Alzheimer's disease listed as the cause. His widow sought survivor benefits, contending that the accepted depression contributed to his death. Her medical specialists supported a…
M.A. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Francisco, CA
M.A. (ECAB 10-0025): Wage-loss termination upheld after return-to-work clearance
M.A., a postal employee, received wage-loss compensation after a coworker's threats led to an accepted post-traumatic stress disorder. Her treating psychiatrist initially recommended a restricted return to work, then cleared her for full-time work without restrictions. OWCP ended her wage-loss…
R.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, West Palm Beach, FL
R.R. (ECAB 09-2296): Cervical occupational disease claim denied
R.R., a postal mail processor, attributed cervical problems to lifting mail trays and moving containers. OWCP accepted that he performed those tasks but denied his occupational disease claim for lack of medical proof of causation. The Board found that the physician reports identified conditions…
D.G. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Philadelphia, PA
D.G. (ECAB 09-2148): Back disability recurrence denial upheld
D.G., a transportation security screener, sustained an accepted lumbar strain while lifting baggage. He later resigned and took a private-sector security job. After the new job required him to lift a gate, he experienced back pain and claimed a recurrence of disability from the original injury. The…
R.C. and Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Jacksonville, FL
R.C. (ECAB 09-2095): Zero-benefit vocational rehabilitation penalty reversed
R.C., a DOL safety compliance officer with accepted back and other injuries, underwent two functional capacity evaluations. A physical therapist reported that he was cooperative but did not give maximum effort, and OWCP reduced his compensation to zero under the vocational rehabilitation rule. The…
C.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Francisco, CA
C.S. (ECAB 09-2067): Insurance premium overpayments and recovery upheld
C.S., a postal supervisor receiving compensation, had insurance coverage while OWCP failed to deduct some health and life premiums from his payments. OWCP found overpayments of $5,032.67 and $2,168.57 and determined that he was not at fault. It denied waiver and set repayment deductions after he…
D.P. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Houston, TX
D.P. (ECAB 09-2065): Compensation termination after fume exposure upheld
D.P., a VA information receptionist, received compensation after exposure to gasoline fumes at work. Her doctors disagreed about whether continuing voice and throat symptoms were related to that exposure. OWCP obtained an impartial specialist's opinion and ended her benefits. The Board found that…
Crawford Lime and Material, Inc.
Final penalty assessment reopened
Crawford Lime and Material asked the Commission to reopen a proposed penalty assessment that had become a final order after no timely contest. The Secretary did not oppose the request. The Commission reviewed the circumstances, reopened the assessment, and remanded the matter to the Chief…
R.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Charlotte, NC
R.C. (ECAB 10-0200): Back occupational disease claim denied
R.C., a postal delivery and retail analyst, attributed worsening back problems to route inspection and other work tasks. OWCP accepted that he performed the duties but denied his occupational disease claim for lack of medical proof of causation. The Board found that the chiropractor's reports did…
K.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Norfolk, VA
K.L. (ECAB 10-0169): Arm impairment rating returned for explanation
K.L., a postal tractor-trailer operator, had an accepted right rotator cuff injury. His treating surgeon rated his arm impairment at 16 percent, while OWCP's medical adviser used a different method and rated it at eight percent. OWCP granted an award based on the lower rating. The Board found that…
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.