United States Department of Labor

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

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A.R., Appellant

and

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, HOLLAND POST 

OFFICE, Holland, MI, Employer

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Docket No. 20-1292

Issued: April 15, 2022

Appearances: Case Submitted on the Record

Appellant, pro se

Office of Solicitor, for the Director

ORDER REMANDING CASE

Before:

ALEC J. KOROMILAS, Chief Judge

JANICE B. ASKIN, Judge

VALERIE D. EVANS-HARRELL, Alternate Judge

On June 11, 2020 appellant filed a timely appeal from a May 7, 2020 merit decision of the 

Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) under File No. xxxxxx977. The Clerk of 

the Appellate Boards docketed the appeal as No. 20-1292.1

On December 7, 2018 appellant, then a 58-year-old rural carrier, filed a notice of 

recurrence (Form CA-2a) alleging that on December 4, 20182 she sustained a recurrence of 

disability causally related to her previously accepted February 2, 2017 traumatic left wrist injury

1 The Board notes that, following the May 7, 2020 decision, appellant submitted additional evidence. However, 

the Board’s Rules of Procedure provides: “The Board’s review of a case is limited to the evidence in the case record 

that was before OWCP at the time of its final decision. Evidence not before OWCP will not be considered by the 

Board for the first time on appeal.” 20 C.F.R. § 501.2(c)(1). Thus, the Board is precluded from reviewing this 

additional evidence for the first time on appeal. Id.

2 OWCP subsequently modified the date of injury from December 4, 2018 to December 3, 2018, noting that the 

employing establishment advised that appellant did not work on December 4, 2018, but stopped work on that date to 

seek medical treatment. 
2

under OWCP File No. xxxxxx050.

3

 She explained that she returned to work after her original 

injury, but reinjured the same wrist first on June 9, 2017 and then on December 4, 2018.4

By decision dated April 1, 2019, OWCP accepted that the December 3, 2018 employment 

incident occurred as alleged, but denied the claim, finding that causal relationship was not 

established.

On April 9, 2019 appellant requested review of the written record by a representative of 

OWCP’s Branch of Hearings and Review.

By decision dated July 26, 2019, the hearing representative affirmed the April 1, 2019

decision, as modified, finding that, due to inconsistencies in the evidence and the lack of a clear 

statement from appellant, the evidence was insufficient to establish that the December 3, 2018 

incident occurred as alleged. The hearing representative concluded, therefore, that the 

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

On October 29, 2019 appellant requested reconsideration.

By decision dated February 3, 2020, OWCP denied appellant’s request for reconsideration.

On March 17, 2020 appellantrequested reconsideration and submitted additional evidence.

By decision dated May 7, 2020, OWCP affirmed, as modified, the July 26, 2019 decision, 

finding that appellant had not established causal relationship between her diagnosed condition and 

the accepted December 3, 2018 employment incident.

The Board has duly considered the matter and finds that the case is not in posture for 

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

correct adjudication depends on cross-referencing between files.5 For example, if a new injury 

case is reported for an employee who previously filed an injury claim for a similar condition or 

the same part of the body, doubling is required.6 In the instant case, appellant alleged that she 

sustained a recurrence of her previously accepted left wrist injury under OWCP File No. 

xxxxxx050. OWCP had previously accepted that she sustained left wrist sprains under OWCP 

File Nos. xxxxxx050 and xxxxxx470. However, it has not administratively combined the claims.

3 The record reflects that appellant has previously accepted traumatic injury claims for a left wrist sprain under 

OWCP File No. xxxxxx050 and a left wrist sprain under OWCP File No. xxxxxx470.

4 Appellant’s claim for recurrence of disability was administratively converted by OWCP to a new traumatic injury

claim, assigned OWCP File No. xxxxxx977, which is the claim presently before the Board.

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

(February2000).

6

Id.; L.M., Docket No. 19-1490 (issued January 29, 2020); R.R., Docket No. 19-0368 (issued November 26, 2019); 

L.H., Docket No 18-1777 (issued July 2, 2019).
3

The Board, thus, finds that for a full and fair adjudication, the claims in OWCP File Nos. 

xxxxxx977, xxxxxx050, and xxxxxx470 must be administratively combined.7 This will allow 

OWCP to consider all relevant claim files and accompanying evidence in developing appellant’s 

current traumatic injury claim.8

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

files. Additional OWCP files involving appellant’s left wrist condition, if any, should also be 

administratively combined with the aforementioned OWCP files. Following this and other such 

further development as deemed necessary, OWCP shall issue a de novo decision.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the May 7, 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: April 15, 2022

Washington, DC

Alec J. Koromilas, Chief Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Janice B. Askin, Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

Valerie D. Evans-Harrell, Alternate Judge

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

7

Supra note 5; see R.H., Docket No. 19-1457 (issued July 17, 2020).

8 R.G., Docket No. 19-1755 (issued July 7, 2020); L.M., supranote 6.