Supreme Court Upholds Compensability for Coal Miner's Radiculopathy

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a finding that a coal miner’s radiculopathy was related to his on-the-job fall and that he was entitled to a referral to a neurosurgeon. Case: Blackhawk Mining v. Stover, No. 22-565, 02/20/2024, published. Facts: Randall Stover worked for Blackhawk Mining as a coal miner. He suffered a workplace fall in September 2020. Stover was diagnosed with a sprain of the ligaments of the lumbar spine. A claims administrator for Blackhawk’s insurance carrier accepted liability for a lumbosacral strain, and Stover was cleared to return to modified duty....