United States Department of Labor

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

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G.T., Appellant

and

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, BALTIMORE 

PROCESSING & DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 

Baltimore, MD, Employer

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Docket No. 20-1193

Issued: January 29, 2021

Appearances: Case Submitted on the Record

Appellant, pro se

Office of Solicitor, for the Director

ORDER REMANDING CASE

Before:

JANICE B. ASKIN, Judge

PATRICIA H. FITZGERALD, Alternate Judge

VALERIE D. EVANS-HARRELL, Alternate Judge

On May 19, 2020 appellant filed a timely appeal from a May 6, 2020 merit decision of the 

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Clerk of the Appellate Boards 

docketed the appeal as No. 20-1193.

On July 15, 2019 appellant, then a 66-year-old mail processing clerk, filed an occupational 

disease claim (Form CA-2) alleging that she experienced left hand and wrist pain and developed 

bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome when filing and casing mail. She indicated that she first became

aware of her condition on June 27, 2019 and first realized its relationship to her federal 

employment on July 6, 2019. Appellant did not stop work.

Prior to appellant’s July 15, 2019 occupational disease claim, OWCP accepted claims for

bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral tenosynovitis, and bilateral hand sprains under OWCP 

File No. xxxxxx111, and left shoulder acromioclavicular sprain and impingement under OWCP 

File No. xxxxxx877.

By decision dated October 7, 2019, OWCP denied appellant’s occupational disease claim, 

finding that the evidence of record was insufficient to establish a diagnosed medical condition 

causally related to the accepted factors of federal employment. It concluded, therefore, that the 

requirements had not been met to establish an injury as defined by FECA.
2

On October 23, 2019 appellant requested an oral hearing before a representative of

OWCP’s Branch of Hearings and Review. In an accompanying statement, she noted that she first 

suffered a left shoulder injury on January 1, 2005 and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome on 

August 30, 1985. Appellant alleged that these injuries were aggravated by her repetitive work 

activities and that she experienced left shoulder, hand, and wrist pain after returning to work. She 

asserted that her pain was aggravated by lifting and reaching. Appellant noted that although a 

second opinion physician indicated that she could return to full-duty work, her treating physicians 

indicated that she could not tolerate her repetitive work duties.

OWCP subsequently received medical evidence in support of appellant’s claim, including 

medical reports from treating physicians noting her treatment history and ability to work.

By decision dated May 6, 2020, OWCP’s hearing representative affirmed, as modified, the 

October 7, 2019 decision, finding that the medical evidence of record was sufficient to establish a 

diagnosed condition. The claim remained denied, however, because the medical evidence was 

insufficient to establish a causal relationship between appellant’s diagnosed conditions and the 

accepted factors of her federal employment. The hearing representative noted that appellant had 

seven prior claims for injury during her employment tenure and evaluated evidence submitted 

under OWCP File No. xxxxxx877.

The Board, having duly considered the matter, finds that this case is not in posture for 

decision. OWCP’s procedures provide that cases should be administratively combined when 

correct adjudication depends on cross-referencing between files and when two or more injuries 

occur to the same part of the body.1 In the present claim, appellant alleged injuries to her left 

shoulder, hand, and wrist. OWCP had previously accepted that appellant sustained bilateral carpal 

tunnel syndrome, bilateral tenosynovitis, and bilateral hand sprains under OWCP File No. 

xxxxxx111 and left shoulder acromioclavicular sprain and impingement under OWCP File No. 

xxxxxx877. For a full and fair adjudication of the appellant’s present claim, these case must be 

returned to OWCP to be administratively combined.

2

 This will allow OWCP to consider all 

relevant claim files and accompanying evidence in developing appellant’s current occupational 

disease claim.3

Accordingly, the Board will remand the case to OWCP to administratively combine the 

current file, OWCP File No. xxxxxx291, and OWCP File Nos. xxxxxx111 and xxxxxx877. 

Following this and other such further development as deemed necessary, OWCP shall issue a 

de novo decision.

 

1 Federal (FECA) Procedure Manual, Part 2 -- Claims, File Maintenance and Management, Chapter 2.400.8(c) 

(February 2000).

2

Id. at Chapter 2.400.8(c)(1); B.M., Docket No. 20-0955 (issued November 30, 2020); L.H., Docket No. 17-1960 

(issued August 16, 2018); K.P., Docket No. 15-1945 (issued February 10, 2016).

3

Id.
3

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the May 6, 2020 decision of the Office of Workers’

Compensation Programs is set aside and the case is remanded to OWCP for further proceedings 

consistent with this order of the Board.

Issued: January 29, 2021

Washington, DC

Janice B. Askin, Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Patricia H. Fitzgerald, Alternate Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Valerie D. Evans-Harrell, Alternate Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board