Federal Court Denies Employer's Petition for Review of Black Lung Benefits

A federal appellate court denied an employer’s petition for review of black lung benefits to a worker with totally disabling legal pneumoconiosis. Case: Cedar Coal Co. v. OWCP, No. 24-1063, 03/06/2026, published. Facts and procedural history: Roger Mullins filed a claim under the Black Lung Benefits Act in 2012, alleging that he was totally disabled due to pulmonary disease caused by coal dust.  After his claim was denied, Mullins filed a request for modification in 2019 in which he alleged that the earlier administrative law judge had made a mistake of fact and that th...