Coal Mining Accidents West Virginia

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How Shaffer & You Can Pursue Maximum Compensation

Coal mining built West Virginia. It’s part of the fabric of our state. In some families, generations have worked in the coal mines.

Coal mines may be safer than they were decades ago, but nobody has to tell a West Virginian that coal mining has risks.

When you or someone you love was injured in a coal mining accident, be on the lookout for the possibility that you may be owed more compensation than you think.

Ask these questions:

Were the conditions in the mine unusually risky?
Did your employer know about the hazards and fail to act?
Did the job site violate state or federal safety laws?
Did your employer know they were putting you in a dangerous situation?
Were your injuries severe?

You need to think about these points because, while it is standard to receive workers’ compensation benefits after a job injury, you could receive additional personal injury payment when certain conditions exist.

This compensation can go a long way in helping you rebuild your life after a coal mining injury.

A personal injury case requires you to show either that your employer acted with “deliberate intent” in causing the accident that hurt you, or that someone other than your employer or a co-worker acted with negligence, leading to your injury.

For a case like this, you want to work with West Virginia coal mining accident lawyers who know the industry and know the state because they’ve been here for generations, too: Shaffer & Shaffer.

Shaffer & Shaffer has been serving West Virginia for over 116 years. Our injury attorneys, including Madison and Charleston coal mining accident attorneys, have combined legal experience of over 200 years.

Together Shaffer & You can fight for what’s fair.

Since 1909, Clients, Community, Commitment.

Help for Other Accident Cases

Job Site Failures to Discuss with a Coal Mining Accident Attorney

In 2023, about 2 percent of coal miners in the U.S. experienced injuries that led to missed work time or other job changes or restrictions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s hundreds of workers a year.

Hazards in coal mines are well known:

Carbon monoxide poisoning
Crushing by debris or equipment
Electric shocks
Falls
Fires (with multiple causes)
Flying debris from blasting (flyrocks)
Machinery accidents
Methane and coal dust explosions
Mine flooding
Pillar collapses
Roof falls
Rib rolls and other wall collapses
Toxic fume buildup
Vehicle collisions

The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training reported that from 2019 through 2024 there were 25 coal mining accidents in West Virginia in which a miner died.

If you lost a family member this way and negligence was involved, you should know that you could have a special kind of personal injury case for wrongful death.

If you’re a miner now dealing with injuries from a coal mining accident, you could pursue compensation beyond workers’ comp if you have a case of deliberate intent by your employer or a case against a third party.

We’ll discuss those situations more below.

You can talk to the Charleson mining accident lawyers at Shaffer & Shaffer to learn more about whether you may have a strong personal injury case from this incident. There’s no charge to have this conversation.

Get a free coal mining injury case consultation.

When Do You Have a Coal Mining Accident Personal Injury Claim?

Like we said, it takes particular circumstances to have a personal injury case from coal mining injuries.

These are the basic scenarios:

Deliberate Intent: When your employer knowingly sent you into harm’s way. These cases are difficult to prove, and you’ll need a skilled coal mining accident lawyer.

Third-Party Negligence: If it was not your employer or anybody with your company who caused you harm—instead it was someone like a sub-contractor, visitor to the mine, or manufacturer of equipment that malfunctioned—you could have a negligence case against them.

faulty equipment you were using.

For your coal mining accident claim, your evidence can include:

Accident reports
Photos from the scene
Physical objects from the scene
Security camera footage
Witness statements
Expert statements
Medical records of your injuries
Mine inspection records
Maintenance records
Company policies and documents

If your claim is successful, you could receive payment for your medical bills and future medical costs, missed paychecks and future lost income, and compensation for the pain, suffering and mental anguish this episode has put you through.

This compensation can make a major difference in your life as you work to move forward after a traumatic mining accident.

Contact Shaffer & Shaffer coal mining accident attorneys in West Virgina.

Shaffer & You: Why Work with Us?

Everyday West Virginians can get legal help from one of the most established and respected law firms in the state: Shaffer & Shaffer. Our firm is over a century old and still going strong because we put the needs of our clients first—always.

West Virginia lawyers Ryan Walters and Chip Shaffer from Shaffer & Shaffer at a conference table in front of a laptop, law books behind them. We provide answers to your personal injury questions.

Have a Question about Personal Injury Claims?

After a life-altering accident, you’re understandably upset, confused and full of questions. To help you get a sense of what’s next, we’ve prepared answers to common questions about personal injury claims and other legal cases.

Injury FAQs »