The attorneys, paralegals, and support staff of Division of Federal Employees' and Energy Workers' Compensation (FEEWC) are responsible for providing a variety of legal services to the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) with regard to several benefit programs it administers.

Accomplishments

  • FEEWC supports OWCP's work under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). FECA provides benefits, including income support and medical care, to those Federal employees who are injured on the job and to survivors of Federal employees who have died as a result of a work injury or exposure.
  • Every day, employees in FEEWC protect the privacy of claimant personal information, including medical information under the Privacy Act.
  • The FECA Subrogation Unit recovers millions of dollars every year for the entire Federal government by effectively administering the subrogation provisions of FECA (attempting to recover damages from a third party).

Programs

  • FECA provides workers' compensation coverage to approximately three million federal and postal workers around the world for employment-related injuries and occupational diseases. FEEWC also administers the subrogation provisions of FECA on behalf of OWCP so that when an employee is injured by a third party - a person other than the United States - the United States can offset some of the benefits it has paid with regard to the injury.
  • • Part B of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) compensates current or former employees (or their survivors) of the Department of Energy (DOE), its predecessor agencies, and certain of its vendors, contractors and subcontractors, who were diagnosed with a radiogenic cancer, chronic beryllium disease, beryllium sensitivity, or chronic silicosis, as a result of exposure to radiation, beryllium, or silica while employed at covered facilities. Part B also provides compensation to individuals (or their eligible survivors) awarded benefits by the Department of Justice under Section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Part E of the EEOICPA compensates DOE contractor and subcontractor employees, eligible survivors of such employees, and uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters as defined by RECA Section 5, for any illnesses that are causally linked to work-related exposures to toxic substances at a DOE facility or uranium mine or mill.
  • The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) is a limited waiver of sovereign immunity that authorizes payment of claims for money damages against the United States for negligent acts or omissions of its employees acting within the scope of their employment in circumstances where a private party would be liable under state law. The FTCA contains certain explicit exceptions that preclude liability.
  • The Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act (MPCECA) authorizes payment of claims made by employees of DOL for damage or loss to property used incident to service with DOL. For example, a DOL employee on travel whose briefcase was damaged may seek reimbursement under the MPCECA as long as the damage was not due to the employee's negligence.
  • The War Hazards Compensation Act (WHCA) provides reimbursement to insurers of contractors covered by the Defense Base Act (DBA) for both benefit and administrative costs resulting from an injury or death caused by a "war risk hazard." The WHCA also provides for direct payments to DBA and certain other employees as a result of their detention by a "hostile force or person" and direct payments to certain employees who are injured as a result of a war risk hazard and are not covered by the DBA or not payable under the DBA.

What We Do

FEEWC consists of four permanent units:

  • The Claims and Compensation Unit, managed by the Counsel for Claims and Compensation, adjudicates claims under the FTCA and the MPCECA, provides legal advice to OWCP concerning the War Hazards Compensation Act, and provides assistance to the Department of Justice in representing DOL before the courts in connection with the FTCA and FECA. In defensive litigation handled in partnership with DOJ, the attorney from the Unit prepares or reviews the legal analyses, pleading, briefs, discovery, and other legal documents and serves as a main point of contact with DOL. The Unit also assists DOL employees and former employees that are sued for alleged constitutional violations obtain DOJ representation.
  • The FECA Unit, managed by the Counsel for FECA, prepares and provides formal and informal legal advice concerning FECA, reviews and drafts legislative and regulatory proposals, and represents the Director of OWCP before the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board and the Office of Administrative Law Judges.
  • The Energy Unit is responsible for legal advice to OWCP with respect to EEOICPA. Attorneys in the Unit prepare and provide formal and informal legal advice and draft and review legislative and regulatory proposals. The Unit is also responsible for assisting the DOJ in defending any suits arising under EEOICPA.
  • The FECA Subrogation Unit is responsible for protecting the subrogation interest of the United States in judgments and settlements obtained by FECA beneficiaries as a result of FECA covered injuries. Paralegal Specialists in the Unit are responsible for monitoring litigation and providing information and assistance with respect to cases in which FECA benefit recipients have received (or will likely receive) a recovery from a third party who caused their work-related injury or illness and seeing that an appropriate part of recovery received by a FECA beneficiary is refunded to the United States and/or credited against future benefits.

DOL Agencies Supported

Position for Students

FEEWC utilizes the Pathways program to employ students in paralegal specialist positions in our FECA Subrogation Unit. Please go to www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads to find out if there are any current vacancies!

Contact

If you need information on filing a claim for benefits, please go to www.dol.gov/agencies/owcp/owcpkeyp for contact information for all of OWCP's programs.

For Information on filling an FTCA or MPCECA claim, please go to www.dol.gov/agencies/sol/divisions/federal-employees-energy-workers-compensation/claims-information

Contact Information

200 Constitution Ave NW
Room N-2625
Washington, DC 20210

202-693-5320
202-693-5360 (fax)
FEEWC@dol.gov

Associate Solicitor
Alexandra Tsiros

Deputy Associate Solicitor
Alexandra Tsiros

Counsel for Claims and Compensation
Sarah G. Naji

Counsel for Federal Employees Compensation
Jim C. Gordon, Jr.

Counsel for Energy Employees Compensation
Sheldon G. Turley, Jr.

Counsel for FECA
Jim C. Gordon, Jr.

Counsel for FECA Subrogation
Rolando Valdez

Management and Program Analyst
Mary L. Crawford