Edwards v. Director

This appeal arose originally from a dispute over the onset date for a black lung benefits award. The claimant, Collins, however, died before that issue was resolved and the case devolved into the issue of whether the claimants former stepdaughter, June Edwards, could pursue the claim as an adopted child. Illinois law controls that question and the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) determined factually that Collins had not impliedly contracted to adopt Edwards when she was a child as required by Illinois law and denied her application to be substituted as a claimant. Since that decision was supported by substantial evidence, we affirm.