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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Matter of G-D-M-
Crewman visa bars cancellation of removal
The Board reviewed a removal case involving a respondent who entered the United States with a crewman's visa. It held that an alien who entered pursuant to a crewman's visa to obtain employment as a crewman is statutorily ineligible for cancellation of removal under section 240A(c)(1). The Board…
E.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Cheyenne Veterans Medical Center, Cheyenne, WY
E.W. (ECAB 09-0836): Medical reports did not link neck and arm conditions to work
E.W., a hospital housekeeping officer, claimed that moving furniture and other job duties caused or aggravated neck and arm conditions. He submitted medical records describing cervical stenosis, disc disease, and numbness in his hands. The Board found that the physicians did not link those…
J.S. and Department of the Air Force, Air National Guard, Pennsylvania National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA
J.S. (ECAB 09-0792): Accepted hearing loss was not ratable for a schedule award
J.S., a retired aircraft mechanic, had an accepted noise-induced hearing loss from federal work. He sought a schedule award after an ear specialist diagnosed bilateral sensorineural loss and recommended hearing aids. An OWCP medical adviser applied the required audiogram formula and found zero…
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Boston, MA
M.M. (ECAB 09-0729): Speculative thumb diagnosis did not establish a work injury
M.M., a postal mail processing clerk, said that sorting, lifting, and loading mail caused arthritis at the base of her left thumb. OWCP accepted that she performed those duties but denied the claim for lack of medical proof. Her surgeon wrote that he suspected she probably had basal joint…
P.P. and Department of the Army, Army National Guard, Springfield, IL
P.P. (ECAB 09-0713): Alleged workplace spider bite was not established
P.P., an Army National Guard transportation assistant, alleged that a spider bit her while she worked at her desk in June 2007 and that the resulting abdominal wound required surgery. She said she felt a prick but did not see what caused it. The Board found no contemporaneous medical report…
H.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Westville, NJ
H.G. (ECAB 09-0631): Pain addition to arm impairment rating required explanation
H.G., a postal clerk with an accepted right hand injury, received a schedule award for 15 percent impairment of her right arm. An impartial physician’s rating included three percent for pain in addition to nerve-related sensory and motor losses. The Board calculated 12 percent impairment from the…
H.R. and Department of the Air Force, Warner Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, GA
H.R. (ECAB 09-0524): Wrist claim lacked a work incident and medical evidence
H.R., an Air Force clerk, reported wrist and arm pain on May 30, 2008 but did not identify a work activity that caused it or submit medical evidence connecting a diagnosis to work. OWCP denied his injury claim after requesting more information. In seeking reconsideration, he said the injury date on…
O.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Phoenix, AZ
O.C. (ECAB 09-0483): Financial record did not support overpayment waiver
O.C., a postal worker, sought waiver of recovery of a $20,221.97 compensation overpayment. An earlier Board decision had resolved the amount and found insufficient evidence that he was at fault for that portion of the overpayment. The Board found that the financial information he submitted showed…
M.Z. and U.S. Postal Service, Riverfront Carrier Annex, San Diego, CA
M.Z. (ECAB 09-0454): Spinal opinion relied on inaccurate job duties
M.Z., a postal worker previously injured on the job, said that her modified letter carrier duties in 2007 caused or aggravated a spinal condition. OWCP accepted that she performed the modified duties but denied a causal connection. Her neurologist attributed cumulative spinal trauma to mail carrier…
T.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Washington, MI
T.C. (ECAB 09-0268): Longer commute caused flare-up, not a compensable recurrence
T.C., a postal rural carrier with an accepted back injury, later worked in a modified assignment. She claimed disability beginning on two dates in 2005 after moving about 60 miles from work. Her neurosurgeon attributed a flare-up of back symptoms to the longer drive. The Board found that the…
F.B. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, San Jose, CA
F.B. (ECAB 09-0242): Medical notes did not explain claimed wage loss or recurrence
F.B., a postal distribution clerk with accepted lower back and right shoulder strains, worked in a modified assignment. He sought wage-loss compensation for several days in May 2007 and claimed a recurrence of disability beginning in May 2008. The Board found that a 2007 disability slip and…
G.L. and Department of the Army, Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, AZ
G.L. (ECAB 09-0837): Old clinic notes did not warrant reopening a 2007 claim
G.L., an Army heavy equipment operator, sought reconsideration after OWCP denied his 2007 occupational disease claim. He submitted a claim form for a 1996 injury and older clinic notes recording several symptoms. The Board found that those materials did not address whether his claimed neck, head…
K.C. and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Emergency Fire Fighters, Reno, NV
K.C. (ECAB 09-0745): Possible exposure without diagnosed injury did not establish a claim
K.C., a Bureau of Land Management firefighter, reported possible exposure to hepatitis C while cleaning medical equipment used on an infected patient. OWCP accepted that the July 2008 incident occurred but denied the claim because no physical injury was diagnosed. The Board found that a physician’s…
D.I. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Fort Myers, FL
D.I. (ECAB 09-0702): Collection agency fees were outside reimbursable treatment costs
D.I., a postal letter carrier with an accepted arm injury, incurred collection fees after bills for physical therapy were sent to a collection agency. OWCP eventually paid the treatment bills and reimbursed a separate fee schedule reduction, but denied her request for $292.70 in collection agency…
J.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, South Bend, IN
J.G. (ECAB 09-0694): Repeated medical reports did not warrant merit review
J.G., a postal worker, claimed that repetitive duties caused or aggravated a torn right rotator cuff. OWCP had recognized his diagnosis and the work factors he identified but denied a causal link. In a later reconsideration request, he resubmitted two medical reports already in the record. The…
J.M. and Department of the Army, New Cumberland Army Depot, New Cumberland, PA
J.M. (ECAB 09-0682): Continuation of pay denied after accepted back strain
J.M., an Army distribution worker, had an accepted thoracic strain after lifting a heavy box. He sought continuation of pay for time off after the injury. The Board found that his chiropractor’s reports did not qualify as physician evidence because no spinal subluxation was diagnosed from x-rays…
S.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Philadelphia, PA
S.M. (ECAB 09-0648): Accepted injuries no longer required medical treatment
S.M., a transportation security screener, had accepted neck, back, and right knee conditions after a 2003 work injury. OWCP terminated medical benefits after a referral physician found that those accepted conditions no longer required treatment. On appeal, she emphasized ongoing knee effects and a…
M.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Coppell, TX
M.K. (ECAB 09-0637): Recurrence and late record-review request both failed
M.K., a postal worker with an accepted back strain, claimed a recurrence after a day of mail work she said exceeded her light-duty restrictions. The Board found no evidence establishing that her assignment had changed beyond those restrictions. Her physician observed worsening symptoms but did not…
J.R. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, Houston, TX
J.R. (ECAB 09-0633): Whole-person spine rating did not prove arm impairment
J.R., a Veterans Benefits Administration employee, had accepted knee, lower back, and neck injuries from a work fall. After receiving leg schedule awards, she sought an additional award based on a physician’s whole-person rating for her spine. The Board found that schedule awards do not cover the…
K.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Butler Veterans Medical Center, Butler, PA
K.C. (ECAB 09-0485): Resolved work strains supported ending compensation
K.C., a Veterans Affairs practical nurse, sustained accepted neck and right shoulder strains while repositioning a patient in 2003. She sought wage loss for part of that summer and challenged OWCP’s later termination of benefits. Her treating physician reported in July 2003 that the cervical strain…
A.C. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, East Orange, NJ
A.C. (ECAB 09-0389): Refusal of suitable modified nursing work ended compensation
A.C., a Veterans Affairs nurse with accepted neck, shoulder, and wrist conditions, was offered a modified nursing position. OWCP terminated her compensation after she refused the offer. An impartial orthopedic specialist found that she could work eight hours with limits on lifting, repetitive…
W.H. and U.S. Postal Service, North Metro Processing & Distribution Center, Duluth, GA
W.H. (ECAB 09-0840): Medical reports did not connect hand conditions to mail work
W.H., a postal mail handler, attributed wrist, hand, elbow, and other symptoms to standing, lifting, pushing, and related work. His physicians diagnosed upper extremity conditions but did not give a reasoned opinion connecting them to specific duties. One physician checked a form box for work…
S.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Coppell, TX
S.R. (ECAB 09-0776): Supervisor’s wording did not establish a compensable work factor
S.R., a postal worker, claimed an emotional condition from job-related stress, including a conversation with her supervisor. The supervisor acknowledged referring to the secretaries as “girls” but denied directing that word at S.R. The Board found that this evidence did not establish verbal abuse…
L.S. and Department of Defense, Andrews Air Force Base, MD
L.S. (ECAB 09-0740): Glaucoma claim lacked medical evidence before OWCP
L.S., a firefighter, claimed that workplace exposure to chemical spills, fumes, fuel, and gases caused severe glaucoma. OWCP asked him for details of the exposure and a medical report explaining a diagnosis and its connection to work. The Board found that he submitted no medical or supporting…
C.S. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Bedford, MA
C.S. (ECAB 09-0703): Back condition was not medically linked to prolonged standing
C.S., a Veterans Affairs nurse, said prolonged standing while dispensing medication caused a back condition. OWCP accepted that she stood for long periods at work but denied the claim for lack of medical proof. Her physician diagnosed back conditions yet marked their relationship to work as unknown…
J.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Bulk Mail Center, Jersey City, NJ
J.K. (ECAB 09-0665): Arm impairment rating required an impartial examination
J.K., a postal clerk with an accepted right arm and ulnar nerve injury, had received a schedule award for three percent right arm impairment. Her physician proposed 23 percent, largely from grip strength loss, while an OWCP physician rated three percent for pain. The Board found problems with both…
D.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New Orleans, LA
D.M. (ECAB 09-0659): Shoulder records did not explain a work-related cause
D.M., a postal letter carrier, claimed that delivering mail caused neck and right shoulder conditions. OWCP denied the claim because the medical evidence did not connect those conditions to work. Later, his orthopedic surgeon described chronic shoulder findings but reported D.M.’s belief about…
A.W. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
A.W. (ECAB 09-0647): Knee diagnoses were not explained in relation to a cart collision
A.W., a Veterans Affairs nurse, reported injuring her left knee when she ran into a cart while helping a physician at work. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred but denied the injury claim. Her physicians diagnosed knee conditions without explaining how the incident caused them, and a checked…
M.H. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Sacramento, CA
M.H. (ECAB 09-0646): Shoulder and neck strain benefits were properly ended
M.H., a postal clerk, received compensation for left shoulder and neck strains after a 2003 work incident involving mail carts. An OWCP referral surgeon reviewed the record and found that those accepted muscle strains no longer caused residuals. The Board found that her opinion supported…
B.S. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Paradise Fossil Plant, Drakesboro, KY
B.S. (ECAB 09-0563): Conflicting lung opinions required an impartial examiner
B.S., a retired Tennessee Valley Authority mechanic, claimed that workplace coal dust and asbestos exposure caused a lung disease. OWCP accepted the exposure but denied the claim. His physician diagnosed occupational pneumoconiosis and probable asbestosis, while an OWCP referral physician found no…
N.L. and U.S. Postal Service, Erie District, New Castle, PA
N.L. (ECAB 09-0436): Occupational disease claim missed the filing deadline
N.L., a former postal clerk, filed an occupational disease claim in March 2008 for conditions she attributed to repetitive work. She had stopped working in 2003 but put 2007 on her claim form as the date she recognized the work connection. The Board found that her earlier claims involving similar…
L.H. and Tennessee Valley Authority, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Athens, AL
L.H. (ECAB 09-0760): Supervisor affidavit did not answer hearing claim’s timing issue
L.H., a former Tennessee Valley Authority painter, sought reconsideration after OWCP denied his hearing loss claim as untimely. He submitted a supervisor’s affidavit confirming noise exposure and that he had reported hearing problems. The Board found that the affidavit did not show the supervisor…
F.T. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Medford, OR
F.T. (ECAB 09-0759): Back injury evidence warranted further development
F.T., a postal mail processing clerk, claimed that repeated lifting at work caused upper and lower back conditions. OWCP denied the claim, finding that her medical reports did not sufficiently explain a connection to specific duties. The Board found that several physicians identified repetitive…
R.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Chestnut Hill, MA
R.V. (ECAB 09-0676): Later-paid schedule award offset a third-party surplus
R.V., a postal letter carrier, received compensation after a work injury and also recovered money from a third party for the same fall. He applied for a shoulder schedule award before the third-party recovery was distributed, but OWCP paid the award afterward. The Board held that an unpaid award…
M.C. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Carol Stream, IL
M.C. (ECAB 09-0669): Spinal injury claim returned for medical clarification
M.C., a postal supervisor, claimed that her federal work caused cervical and lumbar conditions. Her physicians disagreed about whether those conditions stemmed from her work injuries or degeneration, and OWCP obtained an impartial specialist’s opinion. The specialist said he needed the August 31…
J.K. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Phoenix, AZ
J.K. (ECAB 09-0655): Achilles tendon claim returned for medical development
J.K., a transportation security officer, claimed that standing on slanted floors and handling luggage aggravated a prior left Achilles tendon injury. OWCP denied his occupational disease claim. His podiatrist explained how the work could have aggravated the condition, and the Board found no…
P.R. and Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA
P.R. (ECAB 09-0652): Rash claim denied without medical evidence of causation
P.R., a customs officer, reported nausea, dizziness, and a forearm rash after contacting an unknown liquid in a passenger’s luggage. OWCP denied his claim, and the Board treated the reported one-day exposure as a traumatic injury claim. Medical records confirmed the rash but did not explain how the…
N.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Reynolds Corner Post Office, Toledo, OH
N.F. (ECAB 09-0634): Vehicle collision claim lacked a physician’s diagnosis
N.F., a postal letter carrier, reported neck and back pain after a collision involving her delivery vehicle. OWCP accepted that the collision occurred but denied her injury claim. The Board found no physician’s report diagnosing a condition and connecting it to the collision. The submitted work…
D.M. and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Oberlin, OH
D.M. (ECAB 09-0614): Wage-loss claim returned for findings about transfer
D.M., an air traffic control specialist, had an accepted work-related aggravation of irritable bowel syndrome. He sought wage-loss compensation after transferring from Cleveland Center to a lower-paid position in Terre Haute. OWCP denied the claim, but the Board found that it had not adequately…
R.P. and Department of the Army, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL
R.P. (ECAB 09-0610): Accepted hearing loss did not qualify for a schedule award
R.P. worked at an Army depot and developed hearing loss from workplace noise exposure. OWCP accepted the work-related condition but denied a schedule award after its medical adviser rated his hearing impairment at zero percent. The Board found that the adviser properly applied the agency’s…
G.M. and Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, San Diego, CA
G.M. (ECAB 09-0420): Overpayment finding reversed for lack of payment records
G.M., a former transportation security screener, received disability compensation and later worked intermittently. OWCP found that he had received a $24,018.08 overpayment and was at fault, so it denied waiver of recovery. The Board found no records showing the specific compensation payments…
C.Z. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, San Antonio, TX
C.Z. (ECAB 09-0766): Award denial affirmed, reconsideration denial set aside
C.Z., a postal carrier, had accepted wrist and nerve conditions and sought a schedule award for permanent impairment. The Board affirmed OWCP’s original denial because the medical evidence then available rated his impairment at zero percent. C.Z. later submitted a new nerve study and reports…
L.R. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Wilmington, DE
L.R. (ECAB 09-0672): Wrist claim and reconsideration denial affirmed
L.R., a VA support clerk, claimed that keyboarding and other duties caused right carpal tunnel syndrome. OWCP accepted the described duties but denied the claim. The Board found that a nerve study did not show carpal tunnel syndrome and that her physician had not supplied a firm diagnosis or a…
W.R. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Asbury Park, NJ
W.R. (ECAB 09-0611): Existing leg impairment awards upheld
W.R. had received schedule awards for five percent permanent impairment of each lower extremity after an accepted back injury. She sought larger awards, and OWCP sent her for an impartial medical examination to resolve a conflict in medical opinions. The specialist found no ratable impairment of…
H.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Rochester, NY
H.G. (ECAB 09-0512): Benefits termination upheld, additional injury claim remanded
H.G., a postal letter carrier, fell on ice during a delivery, and OWCP accepted a concussion and several contusions. OWCP later terminated benefits for those accepted injuries and denied her claim for related neck and shoulder conditions. The Board upheld the termination because the accepted…
T.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Dominion Station Post Office, Bristol, VA
T.M. (ECAB 09-0474): Overpayment existed, but its amount and fault remain open
T.M., a postal carrier receiving disability compensation, notified OWCP that his divorce had left him with no eligible dependents. OWCP continued paying him at the higher rate for claimants with dependents and later found a $2,671.43 overpayment, fault, and a repayment schedule. The Board agreed…
M.V. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, New Orleans, LA
M.V. (ECAB 09-0401): Right arm impairment needs a new rating
M.V., a postal carrier, sought a schedule award for permanent impairment after accepted ankle and carpal tunnel conditions. The Board found no supported basis for an award for his left arm or legs. A physician had found a positive right wrist sign but had not rated the resulting impairment using…
M.M. and U.S. Postal Service, Processing & Distribution Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL
M.M. (ECAB 09-0361): Emotional condition claim lacked a proven compensable work factor
M.M., a postal worker, claimed that a supervisor’s conduct during a work shift and a reassignment caused an emotional condition. The Board treated assignment and monitoring as administrative actions, which would count as compensable factors only if management error or abuse were established. It…
W.B. and Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Washington, DC
W.B. (ECAB 09-0294): Late reconsideration request did not show clear error
W.B. asked OWCP to reconsider its denial of his emotional condition claim. The Board found no proof that he had mailed a reconsideration request within a year of the last merit decision; congressional correspondence had sought information rather than reconsideration. His request received in…
P.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Clifton, NJ
P.K. (ECAB 09-0265): Back injury claim lacked a reasoned causation opinion
P.K., a postal carrier, reported back pain after unloading a mail hamper from a truck. The Board accepted that the work incident occurred, but found the medical evidence insufficient to show it caused a back injury. A physician identified a disc herniation without adequately explaining how the…
K.K. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Havertown, PA
K.K. (ECAB 09-0207): Earnings offset and overpayment recovery upheld
K.K., a postal worker, received wage-loss compensation while also earning wages from full-time and part-time work. After an earlier Board ruling reversed OWCP’s constructed wage-earning capacity decision, OWCP recalculated his entitlement using his actual earnings and found a $14,412.14…
P.F. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lake Elsinore, CA
P.F. (ECAB 09-0731): Wage-loss benefits reinstated, full period returned for review
P.F., a postal worker with accepted wrist, shoulder, neck, and back conditions, sought wage-loss compensation. OWCP stopped paying benefits based on a supposed return-to-work release, but the Board found the physician had not completed that release. The Board held that OWCP had not met its burden…
J.D. and Department of the Navy, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH
J.D. (ECAB 09-0721): Waiver of overpayment recovery denied despite no fault
J.D. received disability compensation for a period after returning to work, creating an overpayment that an earlier Board decision found was not his fault. OWCP nevertheless denied waiver of recovery. The Board found that his monthly household income exceeded reported expenses by $3,934, so…
W.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Madison Square Station, New York, NY
W.S. (ECAB 09-0558): Emotional condition claim lacked a proven compensable factor
W.S., a postal manager, attributed an emotional condition to alleged harassment, discrimination, and disciplinary actions at work. OWCP denied the claim. The Board found no corroborating evidence of harassment or discrimination and no proof that management had erred or acted abusively in the…
R.J. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Oakland, CA
R.J. (ECAB 09-0557): Compensation reduction based on information clerk work upheld
R.J., a postal clerk with an accepted back injury, received wage-loss compensation after leaving work. OWCP reduced his benefits based on an information clerk position identified through vocational rehabilitation. The Board found that a reasoned medical opinion supported his ability to perform its…
C.C. and Department of Defense, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA
C.C. (ECAB 09-0556): Zero-benefit rehabilitation penalty reversed
C.C. received compensation for an accepted depressive disorder, and OWCP referred her to vocational rehabilitation. When she did not participate, OWCP reduced her wage-loss benefits to zero. Her doctor had recommended against participation because of her condition, giving a prima facie reason for…
T.G. and U.S. Postal Service, Northview Carrier Annex, Lincoln, NE
T.G. (ECAB 09-0543): Shoulder claim lacked a firm diagnosis and causal explanation
T.G., a postal letter carrier, attributed left shoulder pain to carrying mail and working with his arm overhead. OWCP denied his occupational injury claim. His orthopedic surgeon identified signs of shoulder impingement but did not settle on a specific diagnosis, describing a possible rotator cuff…
M.W. and General Services Administration, Reproduction & Distribution Services, Washington, DC
M.W. (ECAB 09-0476): Additional arm impairment award denied
M.W. had accepted bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and had received a schedule award for 55 percent permanent impairment of her right arm. She sought additional compensation for both arms. The Board found that her doctor’s proposed left arm rating did not explain the required impairment calculation…
M.B. and Department of the Air Force, Kelly Air Force Base, TX
M.B. (ECAB 09-0471): Dependent-rate overpayment and fault findings upheld
M.B. continued receiving disability compensation at the higher rate for claimants with dependents after her daughter turned 23. She also listed grandchildren in her legal care as dependents, but the Board held that they did not qualify as children under FECA. OWCP calculated a $4,900.72 overpayment…
R.S. and U.S. Postal Service, Post Office, Lake Oswego, OR
R.S. (ECAB 09-0398): Back injury benefits termination and subpoena denial upheld
R.S., a postal letter carrier, received benefits for a work-related aggravation of a preexisting lumbar condition. An impartial neurologist concluded that the work-related aggravation had resolved and that her continuing condition reflected the underlying disease. The Board found his detailed…
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.