Roanoke, VA Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Coal Miners

Roanoke Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Coal Miner Injuries

Coal miners have a substantial risk of suffering life-altering injuries on a daily basis, but the sad reality is that many of the hazardous conditions that miners encounter are preventable. At The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we represent injured coal miners and tenaciously advocate for the families of victims who die in fatal coal mining accidents.

Roanoke workers’ compensation lawyer Mark Hurt can use his over two decades of legal experience to stand up for your rights and seek to protect your interests.  As a tenacious litigator, Mark is prepared to take on coal mine operators, companies, third parties, property owners, and even the government when asserting your right to a full and fair financial recovery.  Call today to schedule a free consultation to learn how we file workers’ comp claims, negotiate settlements, and pursue maximum compensation in third-party civil lawsuits (when appropriate).

What Types of Coal Mining Accident Cases Does The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt Handle?

We provide tenacious and dedicated representation in nearly all types of coal mining accidents, including those involving:

• Exposure to dust
• Conveyor belt accidents
• Mine collapses
• Explosions
• Fires
• Worksite flooding
• Failure to warn of unsafe conditions
• Defecting mining equipment (e.g., shuttle cars, scoops, roof bolters, coal haulers, bulldozers, excavators, etc.)
• Wrongful Death

When you hire The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we will not be entitled to a fee unless you obtain workers’ comp benefits or recover damages through a settlement or jury award.  Further, if a trial is necessary, we advance all litigation expenses while a case is ongoing, so you and your family do not have to come out-of-pocket for upfront costs.

What Expenses Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?

Workers’ compensation insurance was established to provide benefits to workers (including coal miners) who are injured in the course of employment, and to provide employers with some protection from lawsuits related to injuries.  Workers’ compensation claims are different that injury claims in a number of respects; a primary difference is that a worker does not need to prove that an employer was negligent in order to recover compensation.

Similarly, an injured worker is also entitled to compensation even if the worker may have been partly to blame for the resulting injuries. In most cases, the only way in which a worker injured at work would not be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits is if the worker intentionally and deliberately caused their injuries.

What Types of Benefits are Provided Under Workers’ Compensation?

If a claim is compensable, an employer may be responsible for providing medical treatment through an insurance carrier which includes:

• Mileage reimbursement for commutes to and from authorized doctor appointments
• Authorized doctor and specialists visits
• Medically necessary care related to an injury (e.g., hospitalizations, physical therapy, prescription drugs, prostheses, etc.)

In addition to medical expenses, Virginia workers’ compensation insurance also pays a percentage of lost wages for temporary total, temporary partial, permanent partial, and permanent total disabilities.  If a work-related death occurs, the following benefits may be payable:

• Burial expenses (up to $10,000)
• Transportation expenses (up to $1,000)
• Wage replacement to a spouse and/or dependent children

When we meet with an injured worker, we can further explain the specific types of benefits that may be provided based upon the nature of the case and the degree and permanency of an injury.

What Types of Injuries Do Workers Suffer in Coal Mining Accidents?

Due to the use of heavy machinery in confined spaces, lack of ventilation, inadequate lighting, and other safety hazards, coal mining injuries are typically severe.  From traumatic brain injuries and amputations to paralysis and fatalities, injury victims can face life-altering and costly ramifications after a Virginia mining accident.  For example, a permanently disabled worker can easily incur millions of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages over a lifetime, a cost that they should not be left to shoulder alone in a workplace accident.

As a Virginia workers’ compensation firm with over two decades of legal experience, we will work diligently to identify all potentially liable parties and explore all avenues of compensation to ensure the best chances of obtaining maximum recovery.

Under Virginia workers’ compensation laws, employers are only liable for the statutory benefit payments, medical treatment costs, and certain other limited benefits.  These limitations do not apply if a lawsuit is brought against a non-employer party that was responsible for injury causation.

For instance, suppose that a coal miner is injured as a result of a defective machine or faulty equipment.  In addition to being eligible for statutory workers’ compensation benefits, an employee is also free to bring a lawsuit against the machine or equipment manufacturer, and perhaps others that may have had a role providing the machine or equipment.

In a personal injury suit (which is separate from workers’ compensation benefits), the injured employee can recover pain and suffering and potentially other damages that are not allowed under workers’ compensation laws.  A family who has suffered the death of a loved one in coal mining accident is similarly free to sue these types of “non-employer” parties for compensation.

As a result, when severe injury has occurred, we meticulously seek to identify all those who may be legally responsible for injury and death so that full compensation can be obtained.

We Represent the Families of Those Who Have Lost a Loved One as a Result of Coal Mining Injuries and Illnesses.

Some of the most challenging cases we’ve come across involve the wrongful deaths of coal miners.  While the prevalence of fatalities in the mining industry has decreased over the last 100 years, dozens of miners still die each year due to mining accidents, many of which are preventable.

If you lost a loved one in a mining accident or due to working in coal mines, we offer our sincerest condolences for your losses.  We understand how emotionally and financially draining a wrongful death can be, which is why we seek to help the families of victims who die in coal mining accidents.

We Offer Strong Advocacy and Legal Counsel to Injured Coal Miners and the Families of Those Who Have Died in Tragic Mining Accidents.

At The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, we are committed to securing maximum results for injured coal miners and their families.  When you hire our firm, our team can apply our decades of experience and significant legal resources in conducting a thorough investigation to identify the cause of a catastrophic accident or wrongful death and all potentially liable parties.

If a third party can be held accountable, we will tenaciously pursue maximum compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.  Call today to schedule a free consultation—we are only entitled to a fee if benefits or compensation is recovered.