Glen Burnie Federal Employee Injury Attorney
Federal workers in Glen Burnie and the surrounding Anne Arundel County area face a set of injury claim rules that have almost nothing to do with Maryland’s workers’ compensation system. If you work for a federal agency and you get hurt on the job, your claim runs through the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. That is a separate statute, a separate process, and a separate body of rules from the state system that covers most Maryland workers. As a Glen Burnie federal employee injury attorney, Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP works with federal employees who are often told the process is straightforward, only to find their claims denied, delayed, or undervalued.
Why FECA Claims Look Different From State Workers’ Comp
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act covers a broad range of federal workers: postal employees, federal correctional officers, civilian employees at military installations, Transportation Security Administration officers, and workers at federal agencies with a presence in or near Glen Burnie. The BWI Marshall Airport corridor and the federal facilities throughout Anne Arundel County employ thousands of workers in exactly these categories.
Under FECA, there is no Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission involved. There are no Commission hearings, no state administrative law judges. Instead, your claim goes to the OWCP, which reviews it through its own claims examiners and medical consultants. Benefits under FECA include compensation for lost wages, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and, in death cases, survivor benefits. The wage replacement structure under FECA differs from what Maryland state workers would receive: the rate depends on whether you have dependents, and the calculation runs off your pay grade rather than a simple average weekly wage figure.
One area where FECA diverges sharply from state law is the continuation of pay provision. Most federal employees who are injured on duty are entitled to receive their full pay for up to 45 calendar days without it being charged against sick leave, provided the employing agency accepts the traumatic injury claim. This is not automatic, and the procedures for preserving it are time-sensitive. Missing the right steps early in a claim can cost a federal worker weeks of full compensation they should have received.
How Federal Occupational Disease Claims Create Complications That Traumatic Injuries Do Not
A federal worker who breaks a bone at work has a relatively clear claim: a discrete incident, a date, a mechanism. Occupational disease claims are harder. A postal worker who develops a repetitive stress injury over years of sorting mail, or a federal facilities worker who was exposed to a hazardous substance, has to demonstrate that their medical condition is causally connected to their federal employment. The OWCP’s medical review process in these claims can be rigorous, and the agency often has its own physicians reviewing the evidence against opinions from the injured employee’s treating doctors.
These are exactly the kinds of cases where having an attorney who knows how to build a medical causation record matters. That means gathering the right documentation early, making sure treating physicians understand what FECA requires in terms of their reports and opinions, and anticipating the objections an OWCP claims examiner is likely to raise. At Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP, the firm’s lawyers do not shy away from cases that take more time and resources to pursue. One of the firm’s founders literally wrote the treatise on workers’ compensation in Maryland, and that depth of understanding of how compensation systems work, and how they fail, applies directly to navigating FECA claims for federal employees in the Glen Burnie area.
When the OWCP Denies a Claim or Cuts Off Benefits
A denial from the OWCP is not the end of the road, but the appeal structure under FECA is different from what state workers know. A federal employee whose claim is denied has options: they can request a reconsideration by the OWCP within one year, or they can appeal to the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board. The ECAB operates independently of the Department of Labor and has the authority to reverse OWCP decisions. There is also the possibility of a hearing before an OWCP hearing representative.
Each of these options has its own deadlines and procedural requirements. The ECAB, for instance, generally requires that the appeal be filed within 180 days of the OWCP’s final decision. Missing that window can foreclose the option entirely. Getting the right evidence in front of the right decision-makers at the right stage is what separates a claim that gets turned around from one that stays denied.
Benefits that were approved can also be terminated if the OWCP determines the employee has recovered sufficiently or is no longer entitled to wage loss compensation. Those terminations can be challenged too, and an attorney who handles federal employee injury matters can walk through whether the termination was based on a legitimate medical determination or an administrative error.
Questions Glen Burnie Federal Workers Ask About Their Injury Claims
I work for the postal service. Does FECA actually cover me, or do I have other options?
FECA is the exclusive remedy for most federal employees, including postal workers. You generally cannot sue the federal government for a work injury and cannot file a Maryland state workers’ compensation claim. FECA is the system, and understanding how to work within it is what matters.
My agency is telling me my injury was not work-related. What can I do?
An agency’s position on whether your injury is work-related is not final. The OWCP makes its own determination. You can file a claim directly with the OWCP and submit your own medical evidence. Your employer’s opinion on causation is one input, not the decision itself.
How long do I have to file a FECA claim after a workplace injury?
For traumatic injuries, you generally have three years from the date of the injury to file. For occupational diseases, the three-year period typically begins when the employee is aware or should have been aware of the condition and its connection to employment. These timelines have nuances, and filing as early as possible protects your claim.
Can I see my own doctor, or does the agency control my medical care?
Under FECA, you have the right to choose your own treating physician. The OWCP requires that treatment be provided by physicians who meet its standards, but you are not required to use agency-designated doctors. Your treating physician’s reports and opinions form the backbone of your claim, so selecting someone who understands how to document work-related injuries matters.
What happens if I can return to some work but not my original position?
FECA has provisions for partial disability and modified work situations. If your agency offers you a position within your medical restrictions, refusing it without good cause can affect your wage loss benefits. An attorney can help you evaluate whether an offered position genuinely fits within your restrictions and what your rights are if it does not.
My claim was approved, but the OWCP is now saying I have recovered and cutting off my payments. Is there anything I can do?
Yes. A termination of benefits based on a medical opinion can be challenged by submitting contradicting medical evidence through reconsideration. If the reconsideration goes against you, the ECAB appeal process is available. These situations often come down to which medical opinion is better supported, and building that record is where an attorney can make a real difference.
Does having an attorney help if my claim seems simple?
Even claims that appear straightforward can hit unexpected complications: a claims examiner who questions causation, a medical review that contradicts your treating doctor, a continuation of pay dispute with your agency. Having someone who knows the FECA process from the start can prevent problems that are harder to fix once they arise.
Counsel for Federal Employees Throughout the Glen Burnie Area
Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP has served injured workers across Maryland for 35 years, growing from three attorneys to a team of more than 20, with offices throughout the state including a location accessible to workers throughout the Anne Arundel County area. The firm represents the largest volume of injured workers of any workers’ compensation law firm in Maryland, and that includes federal employees navigating FECA claims. The attorneys at the firm handle cases that require more resources and more persistence than a routine claim, and they stay with clients from the initial filing through appeals if that is what the situation requires. For a Glen Burnie federal employee dealing with a work injury, that kind of sustained representation is not a luxury. It is often the difference between a claim that moves forward and one that gets closed without the benefits the worker is owed.
To speak with a federal employee injury attorney serving Glen Burnie and the broader Anne Arundel County area, contact Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP for a confidential case review.
