Split Supreme Court Upholds Denial of PTD Benefits for Knee Injury

A divided West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a denial of permanent disability benefits to a mine worker for a knee injury. Case: Lucas v. Blue Creek Mining LLC, No. 21-0655, 04/05/2023, published. Facts: Ronald Lucas worked for Blue Creek Mining as a fire boss. He slipped and twisted his right knee while at work in January 2016. A claims administrator for Blue Creek’s insurance carrier accepted liability for a knee strain. Dr. David Soulsby later examined Lucas and reported that a magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a possible meniscus tear. Lucas underwent knee surgery in April 2...