Schedule for 2015 WV Black Lung Clinics Conference in Pipestem, WV
The brochure for the 2015 “Pipestem” conference from June 2 to 5, 2015 has been released (and is embedded and downloadable below). This year’s conference is…
Inspector General Criticizes Black Lung Program in Important Audit Concerning Backlog
Last week the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General released a significant—and critical—audit of the federal black lung benefits program’s procedures for deciding claims. The…
Betty Jean Hall Named as Chairman of Benefits Review Board
Some news came out yesterday about the Benefits Review Board, the Department of Labor’s appellate body that reviews ALJs’ decisions in black lung benefits cases. Secretary…
Fourth Circuit Summarily Affirms Denial of Miner’s Claim (Trump v. Eastern Associated Coal Corp.)
On Friday April 10, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a miner’s claim for black lung benefits. The…
Minich and Washington & Lee School of Law’s Black Lung Clinic
Washington & Lee University has a nice piece on their website about W&L School of Law’s Black Lung Legal Clinic. The article focuses on the oral…
Black Lung Caused by Living Near Coal Processing Plant?
Erica Peterson of WFPL has an interesting story up about a civil suit filed by a woman who says her anthracosis was caused by a coal…
Major Black Lung Decision: Fourth Circuit Affirms “Rule Out” Standard for Disability Causation (West Virginia CWP Fund v. Bender)
Yesterday in West Virginia CWP Fund v. Bender, 782 F.3d 129 (4th Cir. 2015), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an important…
Sixth Circuit Affirms Miner’s Award, Rejecting Arguments Regarding FEV1/FVC Ratio (Quarto Mining Co. v. Marcum)
Last week in Quarto Mining Co. v. Marcum, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected a coal company’s arguments against a miner’s award…
Senator Casey Urges Public Release of Johns Hopkins’s Investigation of Dr. Wheeler & Black Lung X-ray Reading Program
As reported yesterday by ABC News, Senator Casey of Pennsylvania urged Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to release the results of its internal review regarding…
Third Circuit Affirms Award As Supported by Substantial Evidence (Bud Davis Trucking v. Director, OWCP [Phipps])
Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed an award of black lung benefits in a case that embodies two established principles in…