United States Department of Labor

Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board

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C.R., Appellant

and

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, NAVAL 

HOSPITAL LEMOORE, HORNET HEALTH 

CLINIC, Lemoore, CA, Employer

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Docket No. 22-0284

Issued: February 6, 2023

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 December 15, 2021 appellant filed a timely appeal from a June 24, 2021 merit decision

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

docketed the appeal as No. 22-0284.

On April 14, 2021 appellant, then a 62-year-old nurse, filed an occupational disease claim 

(Form CA-2) alleging that she aggravated a preexisting bilateral knee condition and experienced 

right foot pain due to factors of her federal employment.

1

 Se indicated that she first became aware 

of her conditions on September 16, 2018 and their relationship to her federal employment on 

March 18, 2021. Appellant stopped work on March 26, 2018 and returned to work on 

April 16, 2018. OWCP assigned the claim OWCP File No. xxxxxx852.

By decision dated June 24, 2021, OWCP denied appellant’s occupational disease claim,

finding that the medical evidence of record was insufficient to establish a causal relationship 

between her diagnosed medical conditions and the accepted employment factors.

1 Appellant has a previously filed traumatic injury claim (Form CA-1) alleging a March 26, 2018 injury to her 

knees, left thigh, and chest while in the performance of duty. OWCP processed the claim as a short form closure 

under OWCP File No. xxxxxx514. 
2

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 depends on frequent cross-referencing between files.2 Fr 

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.3 Hrein, appellant’s prior 

traumatic injury claim under OWCP File No. xxxxxx514 also involved injuries to the knees, which 

are at issue in the present claim under OWCP File No. xxxxxx852. For a full and fair adjudication, 

this case must be returned to OWCP to administratively combine the current case record with 

OWCP File Nos. xxxxxx514 and xxxxxx852, so it can consider all relevant claim files and 

accompanying evidence in adjudicating appellant’s current occupational disease claim.4

Following this and other such further development as OWCP deems necessary, it shall 

issue a de novo decision. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the June 24, 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: February 6, 2023

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

(February 2000).

3

Id.; M.L., Docket No. 20-1176 (issued April 29, 2021); L.M., Docket No. 19-1490 (issued January 29, 2020); L.H.,

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

4 Supra note 2 at Chapter 2.400.8c(1); W.D., Docket No. 19-0961 (issued March 31, 2021); L.P., Docket Nos. 18-

1558 & 18-1568 (issued June 21, 2019).