Coal miners suffering from black lung disease have options when it comes to federal workers’ compensation benefits. To date, the disease lacks a cure. However, medical treatments exist to prolong the lives of those suffering from these severe illnesses. Advancements...
Since seemingly its inception, Social Security Disability Insurance has had a long backlog that has only grown larger over the decades. Those past-due applications have resulted in equally lengthy wait times for applicants, many unable to work and in desperate need of...
As COVID-19 began to spread across the United States last year, one of the first strategies was to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable. The elderly, particularly those in nursing homes, became top priorities for protection, as were those suffering from severe...
The Commemoration of a Century! Join Us Labor Day Weekend. Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Kick-Off Event, Friday, September 3 at 4pm in Charleston, WV at the Culture Center, Capital Complex For more details and up-to-date information:...
By L.M. Sutter They were 13,000 strong that August of 1921, marching to Bloody Mingo, singing the songs of the union. Tired of chafing under the cruelties of the coal companies they marched. They marched because of Matewan and the memory of Sid Hatfield barely cold in...
Those applying for Social Security Disability Insurance may have an easier path to secure the benefits they need due to a disabling injury. While already a complex process, the Social Security Administration’s approach to filing involved a lengthier, more difficult,...
In spite of nationwide efforts to increase safety while reducing the inhalation of coal dust, black lung, formally known as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, has made a resurgence in the past several years. Even the powerful Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s...
The breathing in of silica dust – also referred to as quartz – has resulted in countless diagnoses of black lung. For those coalminers in Central Appalachia who have plied their trade 25 years or more, twenty percent of them suffer from the deadly disease. Dust is not...
Black lung disease is on the rise in Central Appalachia. Hard-working miners who, over years or decades, inhaled coal dust are now suffering from the consequences of their efforts. Far too many are diagnosed with black lung disease. Surviving family members already...
The diagnosis of black lung disease is a devastating and life-changing moment. Doctors with particular expertise in this severe illness known what to look for when reviewing x-rays. Conveying that information to coal miners and family members must be done immediately,...