Court Rejects Employer's Challenge to Black Lung Award

The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals denied an employer’s challenge to an award of black lung benefits to a longtime coal mine employee. Case: Consol of Kentucky Inc. v. Adams, No. 22-2270, 09/10/2024, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Ricky Adams spent more than 27 years working in underground coal mines. An administrative law judge found that Adams had a totally disabling respiratory impairment based on Dr. Esther Ajjarapu’s opinion and Adams’ treatment records. The Black Lung Benefits Act provides a rebuttable presumption that a miner is totally disabled...