Supreme Court Clarifies Notice Requirements for Workers With Successive CWP Claims

The Kentucky Supreme Court clarified when a coal miner must notify his employer of an impending pneumoconiosis claim if he has previously been diagnosed and received benefits from a previous employer. Richard Lane worked in the coal mining industry for more than 30 years. He was diagnosed with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis in June 2003, and he filed a workers’ compensation claim against his then-current employer, Simpson Mining. Lane settled that claim in December 2005 for $12,500. The settlement agreement reflected that five physicians had assessed Lane’s condi...