United States Department of Labor

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

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H.E., Appellant

and

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, POST OFFICE, 

Detroit, MI, Employer

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Docket No. 21-1070

Issued: March 18, 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 July 8, 2021 appellant filed a timely appeal from an April 28, 2021 merit decision of 

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

docketed the appeal as No. 21-1070.

On December 9, 2020 appellant, then a 53-year-old rural carrier, filed an occupational 

disease claim (Form CA-2) alleging that he developed left cubital and carpal tunnel syndrome due 

to factors of his federal employment, including sorting, casing, and delivering mail; lifting and 

delivering packages; and unloading tubs, bags, and parcels. He indicated that he first became 

aware of his condition on September 3, 2020, and that it was related to his federal employment on 

November 30, 2020. OWCP assigned this claim File No. xxxxxx436.

Appellant had previously filed a Form CA-2 on November 5, 2020 alleging that he had 

sustained carpal tunnel syndrome due to factors of his federal employment including sorting, 

casing and delivering mail, as well as lifting packages. He related that he first became aware of 

his condition and its relationship to his federal employment on September 3, 2020. OWCP 

assigned this claim File No. xxxxxx310. 

In a development letter dated December 15, 2020 in the instant claim, OWCP File No. 

xxxxxx436, OWCP informed appellant of the deficiencies of his claim. It advised him regarding
2

the type of medical evidence necessary to establish his claim and provided 30 days for him to 

submit the requested evidence.

In response, appellant submitted a medical report dated September 10, 2020 from Dr. Ryan 

Beekman, a Board-certified orthopedic and hand surgeon. Dr. Beekman diagnosed tendinosis and 

tenosynovitis involving the extensor carpi ulnaris without tendon tear, minimal tenosynovitis of 

the extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis tendons. In reports dated September 24 and 

November 5, 2020, he diagnosed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and also cubital tunnel 

syndrome.

In a report dated November 30, 2020, Amy Herrick, a nurse practitioner, related that 

appellant was seen for a follow-up appointment for his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and that 

he was scheduled for a right carpal tunnel release.

In a letter dated January 8, 2021, Dr. Beekman related that appellant underwent bilateral

right and left carpal tunnel release on January 5, 2021. He noted that appellant had indicated that 

his hand symptoms of numbness and tingling were significantly exacerbated by his work activities

including lifting heavy objects and repetitive heavy gripping. Dr. Beekman concluded that it was 

reasonable to believe that appellant’s bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and left cubital tunnel 

syndrome were causally related to his employment.

By decision dated February 4, 2021, OWCP denied appellant’s claim as causal relationship 

was not established between the diagnosed medical conditions and the accepted employment 

factors. It concluded, therefore, that the requirements had not been met to establish an injury or 

medical condition causally related to the accepted employment factors.

In a letter dated March 2, 2021, Dr. Beekman related that appellant had reported that his 

symptoms were significantly exacerbated by his work activities of lifting heavy objects and 

gripping. He also stated that medical literature supported that repetitive heavy gripping was a 

known cause of carpal tunnel and that he believed that appellant’s work duties caused his bilateral 

carpal and left cubital tunnel syndrome.

On March 11, 2021 appellant requested reconsideration of OWCP’s February 4, 2021 

decision.

By decision dated April 28, 2021, OWCP denied modification of its February 4, 2021 

decision. 

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

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

correct adjudication of the issues depend on frequent cross-referencing between the files.1 For 

example, if a new injury case is reported for an employee who previously filed an injury claim for 

1

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

(February2000).
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a similar condition or the same part of the body, doubling is required.2 Herein, appellant filed a 

claim for carpal tunnel syndrome, assigned OWCP File No. xxxxxx310 on November 5, 2020, and 

subsequently filed an occupational disease claim on December 9, 2020 for cubital and carpal 

tunnel syndrome, assigned OWCP File No. xxxxxx436. The evidence pertaining to OWCP File 

No. xxxxxx310, however, is not part of the case record presently before the Board.

For a full and fair adjudication, the case must be returned to OWCP to administratively 

combine the current case record with OWCP File No. xxxxxx310. Following this and such further 

development as OWCP deems necessary, it shall issue a de novo decision. Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the April 28, 2021 decision of the Office of Workers’

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

with this order of the Board.

Issued: March 18, 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

2

Id.; D.C., Docket No. 19-0100 (issued June3, 2019); N.M., Docket No. 18-0833 (issued April18, 2019); K.T.,

Docket No. 17-0432 (issued August17, 2018).