WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a black lung case brought by Peabody Coal that legal experts say could set a precedent for black lung benefits cases.
The Register-Herald of Beckley reports that a lower court ruled last year that the Affordable Care Act revived the provision that certain survivors of a coal miner eligible to receive black lung benefits are entitled to survivors' benefits without having to prove that the miner died from black lung.
Legal experts say the decision should make the pursuit of black lung benefits less of a struggle for others.
In the lawsuit, Peabody Coal argued that the award to a miner's widow violated the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court declined to consider Peabody Coal's arguments, leaving intact the Sixth Circuit's decision.