Coal Mine Injuries and Deaths

West Virginia is coal country. Coal has been mined in West Virginia for so long that it is a part of our collective identity. Coal mining is our heritage. West Virginia is known for its coal and for the hard-working coal miners who help provide power and electricity for the rest of the country. Coal mining is tough work. Unfortunately, sometimes coal mining in West Virginia turns out to be more dangerous than it should be, due to misplaced priorities.

Everyone knows that coal mining comes with a certain amount of risk. Because of this risk, coal operators must meet certain safety standards mandated by both federal and state law. Unfortunately, history has proven that sometimes coal operators don’t follow those safety standards as they are required because some coal operators sacrifice safety in favor of higher profits. When that happens, the coal operator may be sacrificing the safety of the coal miner in favor of financial gain. Failure to follow mandatory safety standards often leads to a higher number of serious coal mining accidents and coal mining injuries.

In fact, the attorneys at the Olivio Law Firm, PLLC represented victims of the coal mine explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. Following extensive investigations, federal, state and independent investigation teams concluded that this tragedy could have been avoided had the operator followed the law and safety regulations.

While everyone prays that West Virginia never experiences another tragedy like Upper Big Branch, future injuries and fatalities are almost a certainty. If you have suffered a coal mine accident injury, or if you have a family member or friend who has been injured in a coal mine accident, you need a law firm that understands coal mining and how to take on the big coal companies. You need a law firm that has actually been inside coal mines – that understands the differences between long wall mining versus block and pillar mining.