Opinion ID: 537072
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the lukman proceedings

Text: 31 Having announced the requirements for adjudication of second claims, we must now determine whether the procedures adopted in Mr. Lukman's case comported with those requirements, and, if not, what remedy will be applied. Although the deputy commissioner did not make an explicit finding of no change in circumstances, we believe that the deputy commissioner's review and the ALJ hearings did not rise to the level of reversible error. The failure by the deputy commissioner and the ALJ to address the issue of material change was harmless error because Mr. Lukman actually received a full ALJ hearing on the overall issue of entitlement. Even though Mr. Lukman was entitled to a deputy commissioner and an ALJ determination on the issue of material change in conditions, the most he could win by prevailing on that issue was an opportunity to make his best case on the issue of entitlement. He has already received that opportunity, thus any remand to require the ALJ to consider evidence of a change in circumstances would be useless. 32 However, we hold that the Board's summary dismissal of the claim on res judicata grounds violated Mr. Lukman's right to have his case reviewed by the Board on the merits. Although Mr. Lukman was allowed to introduce evidence of a material change during the Board's en banc hearing, the Board never reviewed the ALJ's decision on the merits. This lack of review becomes important in Mr. Lukman's case when we recognize that the ALJ may have applied the wrong statute to Mr. Lukman's claim because of some confusion over when the claim was filed under the statute. Thus, we reverse the decision of the Board dismissing Mr. Lukman's case on res judicata grounds. We remand the case to the Board with directions to review the ALJ's decision on the merits and with specific directions to remand to the ALJ for further consideration if the Board concludes that the ALJ applied the incorrect statute. 33 The case is REVERSED and REMANDED to the Board.