We’ve all seen tragic coal mining accidents on the news and people tend to follow those with a close eye. But what about the citations that occur before a miner is killed? What are those all about? If you hear on the news that a mine is “written up,” that means they have been inspected by a state or federal official who has found a broken regulation or unsafe condition in the mine. In West Virginia, mines are inspected daily all over the state to make sure our miners are protected and that there is a record of a coal company’s safety behavior. We can use those records at The Segal Law Firm to help prove your case, should a loved one be tragically killed in a coal mining accident.
If you’re speeding down the road and get pulled over, the officer might issue you a speeding ticket, otherwise known as a citation. The same thing goes for a coal company if an inspector finds an issue. If the federal and state inspectors find that the roof isn’t controlled properly or the air isn’t being ventilated well, they can write them up a citation. There are thousands of things for which a mine can be cited. If you don’t get them fixed in a certain amount of time, these inspectors can order the mine to be shut down.
How does this help us at The Segal Law Firm? Because we have a long list of experience with coal mining cases, we know to look at the company’s history, not just at the time a miner was killed, but years before it occurred. Invariably, we’re going to find that the company has a record of putting profit ahead of safety. By looking up their safety record and finding citation after citation, we’re able to prove to a jury, through experienced experts, how the company has a pattern of putting safety last on their list of priorities. This series of unsafe conditions was a chain reaction that ultimately led to our client’s death.
An experienced lawyer will have the knowledge, tools and experts on hand to prove your loved one’s wrongful death. And if you want to pick up the phone and call me, I’d be happy to talk to you about how we look into those write ups and citations, how we get them, and what type experts we use to prove them in court. You won’t talk to a secretary, paralegal or trained monkey; you’ll talk to me personally. I want to make sure you understand why The Segal Law Firm has the necessary experience to handle the case for your family. Call us today at 855-344-9100.