Benefits Review Board Adopts E-Filing System
Good news for those of us who like e-filing! The Department of Labor’s Benefits Review Board sent out letters last week unveiling its electronic filing and…
Fourth Circuit Summarily Affirms (Another) Miner’s Black Lung Benefits Award (McElroy Coal Co. v. Trader)
In what has become a regular pattern this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has once again rejected—in the most summary way…
Interesting Fourth Circuit Decision Involving “Living Miner” Claim Awarded After Widow’s Claim Was Denied and After Widow Remarried (Eastern Associated Coal Co. v. Director [Vest])
On July 3, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit released an interesting unpublished, per curiam opinion in Eastern Associated Coal Co. v.…
Fourth Circuit (Including Judge Niemeyer) Continues to Summarily Affirm Black Lung Benefits Awards (Consolidation Coal Co. v. Director [Lake] & Laurel Run Mining Co. v. Maynard)
Continuing a pattern discussed in a post from two weeks ago—this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has summarily affirmed two awards…
Head of MSHA Explains Benefits of New Coal Mine Dust Rule
On the Department of Labor’s blog, the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Joe Main, wrote a post which draws upon his experience…
Fourth Circuit Summarily Affirms 3 Black Lung Awards (West Virginia CWP Fund v. Director; Elk Run Coal Co. v. Director; & West Virginia CWP Fund v. Reed)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has released three summary decisions which each affirm disabled coal miners’ awards of federal black lung benefits. …
Dr. Paul Wheeler Presumed Not to Be Credible by Department of Labor; Department to Tell Miners with Denied Claims to Refile
Major news: Dr. Wheeler is now presumed not to be believable by the Department of Labor. The Director of the Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation…
ACLC Clients Featured in Huffington Post Story on Black Lung
The Huffington Post is out with a story today highlighting several ACLC clients in western Kentucky who have been subjected to poor coal dust conditions, mine…
Department of Labor to Propose Rule Regarding Disclosure of Medical Evidence
Major news from the Department of Labor: In its Spring 2014 Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, the agency announced that it will be proposing a rule regarding the…
Medical Research Shows Importance of Role of Silica in Rapidly Progressing Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis
The American Thoracic Society has posted the abstract of a paper written by some of the world’s leading coal workers’ pneumoconiosis medical researchers. The paper provides…