Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circumstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 60064 S u m m ary C al en da r

FR I ED E- G O LD M AN H AL TE R I N CO RP O RA T E D , c/o Te xa s Pr o pe r t y and Ca s u a l t y I n s u r a n c e Gu a r a n t y As s o c i a t i o n ; RELI AN CE N AT I ONAL IN D E M N IT YC O M P A N Y , c/o T exasPro perty and C a su a l ty In su ra n ce G u a ra n ty A ssoc i ati on P et i t i on ers v. J O R G E A E S C A R E N O ; D IR E C T O R , O F F I C E O F W O R K E R 'S CO M P ENS AT I ON P RO GRAMS , US DE P AR T M ENT OFLAB OR R esp on d en ts

P e tit io n fo rR e v ie w fr o m th e B e n e fits R e v ie w B o a r d ,

U

. S

. D epa rt m en tof

L abor

B ef ore K IN G , D E N N IS, an d O W E N , C i rcui tJu dg es . P E R C U R IA M: * P et i t i on er Tex as P ropert y C asu al t y Insuran ce G u ara n tyA ssoc i ati on (T P C IG A) se e k s a re v iew of a n or d e r o f th e B e n e fits R e v iew B o a rd(B R B ). TPC I G A c hall e nge s t he B RB ’ s aw ar d of di s ab i l i t y be ne f

i t s , a t t o r ne y’ s fe e s , a nd inter estun der th e L on gsh ore andH arbor W ork e rs ’C o m p e n sa tion A ct (L H W C A), 33 U

. S. C

. § 901 e t s e q . T P C IG Acon ten d s th a t (1 ) it w a s n ot l i a b l e u n d er sta te United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I LE D May 4, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 60064

2 la w fo rp e n a lt ie s , a t t o r n e y ’s fe e s , a n din t e r e s t ; ( 2 ) itw a s n o tlia b le fo ra t t o r n e y ’s fees because i tha d accepted t h e rec om m en da t i on s of t h e in for m alconference; an d ( 3) t h e agen cy’ s fact u al f i n di n gs i n res pect t o causati on an d d i sabi l i t y w ere no tb as e d o n s ubs t ant i ale vi de nc e . Fi ndi ng t he s e a r gum e nt s unp e r s uas ive , t he p e t i t i o n f

o rr e v i e w i s DE NI ED

. I . Bac kgr ound TPC I G A i s as t at e - c r e at e d a s s o c i at i o n whi c h pa ys c l ai m s f o ri ns o lve nt i ns ur e r s . Cl ai m antEsc ar e no w as i nj ur e d whi l e w o r ki ng f o rFr i e de

- G o l dm an. W h i l e E scareno’ s cl ai m w as pen di n g, both F ri ede-G ol dm an an d i t s i n suran ce carri er, R el i an ce, becam e i n solven t
. A ccor di n gl y, T P C IG Abecam e t h e i n surer andt he s o l e r e s po nde ntt hatde fe nde d a ga i ns tEsc ar e no ’ s c l ai m s b e f o r e t he agenc y. O n M ar c h 1 7, 2 00 0, Esc ar e no w as s t r uc k o n t he r i ghts i de o f hi s he ada nd
s ho ul de rb y a m e t alf r am e w e i ghi ng ap pr o xi m at e l y 35 0 po unds du ri n g t he course of

hi s em pl oym en t
. H e w as subseq u en t l y t reat ed f or he ad ac he s , di z z ine s s, andde pr e s s i o n. H e s o ugh to ngo i ng di s ab i l i t y andm e di c alb e ne f i t s und e rt he L H W C A . T h e ca s e w a s p r e s e n te dto a na d m in is tr a tiv e la w ju d g e (A L J ). T h e A L J c onc l uded t hatE sc ar eno pre se nt ed a pri m a f aci e s ho wi ngt hat h i s i nj u ry w as com pen sabl e u n der t h e L H W C A

. B ased on a revi ew of t h e rec ord
as a w hol e, t he A LJ co ncl uded t hatt he c l ai m an t es t abl i she d a c ausal
r e l at i o ns hi p b e t w e e n hi s em pl o ym e nta nd h i s he ad ac he s , di z z i ne s s , a nd depr es si on. A c c or di ngl y, t he A LJ aw ar ded the c l ai m antt em por ar y t ot al di sabi l i t y c om pensati on f r om M ar c h 18, 2000 t hro ugh A pril23, 2000, par t i al di s ab i l i t y c o m pe ns at i o n f r o m Apr i l2 4, 2 00 0 t hr o ughM ay 17, 2 00 0, a nd t em porary tot aldi sabi l i t y f rom M ay 18 , 200 0 an d co n tin u ing. T h e A L J al soN o. 08- 60064

3 awar de d Es c ar e no m edi ca le xp e ns e s a nd i nt e r e s t
. I ni t i all y, o nly Rel i anc e a nd Fr i e de

- G o l dm an w e r e he l d li ab l e ; ho w e ve r , b e c aus e t he y be c am e i ns o lve nt d u r i n gt h e p r o c e e d i n g s , Es c a r e no mo v e df o rr e c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o h o l dT P CI GA l i abl e. I n ruli n g on t he m ot i on f orr ec ons i der at i on, t he A LJ co ncl uded t hat T P C IG Aw ou l dbe l i a b l e for all i n teres t, p en a l ti es, a n d a ttorn ey ’ s fees relatedto t he c as e. A f

t ert he ALJ i s s ue d it s de c i s i o n o n t he m o t i o n f o rr e c o ns i de r at i o n, E scareno f

i l ed an app l i cat i on f

or at t orney’ s fe e s a n d T P C IG Af i l ed a respon se. O n M a r c h 2 0 , 2 0 0 7 , b e fo r e th e A L J r e a c h e da n yd e c is io n in r e s p e c tto a t t o r n e y ’s fees, T P C IG Af

i l ed a n ot i ce of

app ealt o th e B R B i n respect t o t h e A L J’ s aw ard
o f be ne f i t s and i t s de c l ar at i o n o n r e c o ns i de r at i o n t hat TPC I G A i s li ab l e . O n J une 19 , 2 00 7, t he A LJ aw ar de d E s c ar e no a t t o r ne y’ s fe e s . I n a n unp ubli s he d d e c i s i o n, on D ece m b er 17 , 2 0 0 7 , th e B R B aff i rm edthe A L J ’ s d ecisi on aw a rd i n g b en efits
a n dh oldin g T P C IG Al i a b l e b u t de c lin e d t o con siderthe A L J ’ s d ecisi on as to
a tt o r n e y ’ s fe e s b e c a u s e it w a s n o t p a r t o f th e n o tic e o f a p p e a l. T P C I G An o w ti m e lyp e t i t io n s th is c o u r tfo rar e v ie w o f t h e B R B ’s D e c e m be r1 7, 2 00 7 de c i s i o n. I I . TP C I G A’ s D es i gnat i on as a Carr i er TPC I G A, f

o rt h e f i r s tt i m e i n t h i s p e t i t i o n , c o n t e s t s t h a titi s aL HW CA
c ar r i e ra nd c hall e nge s s ubj e c t

- m at t e rj ur i s di c t i o n. As i n as i m i l arc as e i nvo lvi ng T P C IG A , L e v ings to n S h ip B ldg . Co . v . Pe la ez, C as e N o. 07- 60616, 2009 W L 577736, at*2 ( 5th C i r. M ar . 6, 2009) (unp ubl i she d) , her e, “ [b] ef or e the A LJ, T P C IG A r e p e a te d ly r e fe r r e dto its e lf a s L e v in g s to n ’ s ca r r ie r . T h e A L J s im ila r ly
r ef er r ed t o TPC I G Ai n th a tw ay. A nd, alt hough T PC I G Ar ef er r ed t o it se l f

as L e v in g s to n ’ s ‘in s u r e r ’b e fo r e th e B R B , it d idn o t c o n te s t it s ca r r ie rd e s ig n a tio n .” Fort he s am e r e as o ns a s i n L e v ings to n , “ [h] avi ng r epe at edly r ef er r ed t o it se l f

asN o. 08- 60064

4 th e ca r r ie ra n dn o t c o n t e s te dth a t d e s ig n a tio n b e fo r e th e B R B , T P C IG Ais estop p ed from con testi n g th a t de sign a ti on n ow . ” I d. As i n Le v i ngs t o n, “ [t] o t he
e x t e n tT P C I G A ’s c o n t e n t io n is p r o p e r lyr e a da s ac h a ll e n g e to th e D O L ’s j u ri sd i cti on - - ra th er th a n m ere l y a re p e tit io n of i ts pre cl u d edch a l l en ge to havi ng bee n des i gnat ed a c ar r i er- - w e r ej ec tit
. Th e D O L i ndi sput ably has j u ri sdi ct i on un der th e L H W C A” an d “TP C IG Ai s li able u n der t h e L H W C Af or p en a l ti es, a ttorn ey ' s fee s, an di n teres t. ” Id

. a t * 2 -* 3
. I I I . A t t or ney’ s Fees T h e B R B d i d n otadd ress T P C IG A ’ s argum en tt h at iti s not l i able f or at t o r ne y’ s fe e s b e c aus e itha d a c c e pt e d the a ge nc y’ s r e c o m m e nda t i o n a f t e rt he i n f o r m a lc o n fe r e n c e . I n t h e o n l yo r d e rc u r r e nt l y be f o r e u s f o rr e v i e w, t h e BRB decl i n ed to revi ew t h i s i ssue becau se th e “ em pl o y e r h a s n otproperl y ap pea l ed th e a d m i n i strative la w j u d ge ’ s aw a rdof afee . ” I n its pe titi on , T P C IG Afa i l s to i den t i f y an y error s i n B R B ’ s r ef u salto a dd ress this is sue on procedu ralgroun ds, but , i nst ead, c hal l enges t he m er i t s of the under l yi ng fee aw ar d. Acc or di ngl y, T P C IG Aha s fai l ed to properl y an d ti m el y exh au stit s adm i n i st rat ive rem edi es a s t o t h e a w a rdof a tto rn e y ’ s fe e s b yfailin gto p ro p e rlya b id e b yth e B R B ’s procedu re. W e d ecli n e to a dd ress this i ssue. S e eCo xv . B e n efits R e v ie w B d ., 791 F .2 d4 4 5 , 4 4 7 (6 th C ir . 1 9 8 6 ); Hix v. D i rec t or, Of f i ce of W orkers ' Compen sat i on Prog r a m s , 8 2 4 F .2 d5 2 6 , 5 2 7 -2 8 (6 th C ir . 1 9 8 7 ); D uncanso n- Harre ls on Co. v. D i r e c t o r, Of

f i c e of Wo rk e rs '

Co mp e n s a t i o n Prog r a ms , 644 F

. 2d827 , 832 ( 9th C i r. 1 9 8 1 ) (d e c lin in gto re v ie w is s u e s n o t p r o p e r lyp r e s e n te dto th e B R B ); se e a lso B o a r dof P u b licIn s tr u c tio n of T ay lo r Co u n ty , Fla . v . Fin c h , 414 F. 2d 1068, 1072 ( 5t h C i r . 1 9 6 9 ) (“ The g e ne r a l r ul e o f a p p e l l a t e r e v i e w f r o m d e c i s i o ns o f

an adm i ni st r at ive agenc y i s ‘ t hatc our t s sho u l d n ott oppl e o veradm i ni st r at iveN o. 08- 60064

5 dec ision s un l ess t h e adm i n i st rat ive bod y n otonl y h as err ed bu tha s er red ag ai ns to bj e c t i o n m ad e a tt he t i m e a ppr o pr i at e und e rit s pr ac t i c e . ’” ( quo t i ng Un i t ed S t ate s v. L

. A

. Tu cker Tru ck L i n es, I n c. , 3 4 4 U .S . 3 3 , 3 7 (1 9 5 2 )); P u b lic Ci t ize n , I

n c . v . U. S. E. P. A. , 343 F

. 3d4 49 , 4 61 ( 5th Ci r . 2 00 3) (“Abs e nt excepti on alci rcum st an ces, a p art y can n otj u di ci al l y cha l l en ge agen cy a ct i on on gr o unds no tpr e s e nt e d t o t he a ge nc y att he a ppr o pr i at e t i m e d u ri ng t he
a d m in istr a tiv e p ro ce e d in g .”)

. IV . C au sat i on an d E xtent of I nj u ry

“ Th i s c our t
. . . rev i ew s dec i si ons by t he B R B t o de t er m i ne w het herithas
a d h e re d to its p ro p e r sco p e of re v iew -- i

. e. , w h et h er the A L J' s f i n di n gs of

factare
su p p orted b ys u b s ta n ti a lev i d en ce a n dare con sist en t w i ththe l a w . ” G u lf B est E le c ., In c . v . Me th e, 396 F. 3d 601, 603 ( 5t h C i r . 2004)

. I n r e s pe c tt o c aus at i o n a nd d i s a b i l i t y , T P C I GA i s req u estingthis cou rt t o ov ertu rn the A L J ’ s cred ib i l i ty determ i n ati on becau se th e A L J rel i ed on t h e cl ai m an t ’ s exp erttest i m on y rat h er th a n T P C IG A ’ s ex p ert testi m on y. “A n A L J i s a factfi n d er a n di s en titl edto
c o n s id e ra llc r e d ib il it yin fe r e n c e s . H e c a n a c c e p ta n yp a r to f a n e x p e r t 's testi m on y; he m a y rej ect i t com p l etely. ” O rt co Con t ract ors, In c. v. Ch arpen t i er, 33 2 F. 3d2 83 , 2 92 ( 5th Ci r . 2 00 3) (c i t at i o n a nd q uo t at i o n m ar ks om i t t ed)

. The
a g e n c y ’ s d e te r m in a tio n is s u p p o r te db ye x p e r t t e s tim o n ya n dw e h a v e n o b a s is t o overt u rn it s f

i n di n gs as t o causati on an d the extent of i nj u ry becau se th ese fa c tu a l fin d in g s a r e b a s e do n s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . F o rth e fo r e g o in gre a s o n s , w e D E N Yth e p e tit io n .