Federal Black Lung Defense

Bowles Rice supports clients across the Appalachian coalfields and beyond, defending coal mine operators and their insurers in Federal Black Lung claims.

Bowles Rice has defended major coal companies and insurers in Federal Black Lung litigation for more than 30 years and we are committed to providing the most efficient and aggressive defense possible.  Paul Frampton, the leader of the firm’s Federal Black Lung (FBL) Defense Team, has more than 30 years of experience litigating federal black lung claims at all levels and has personally litigated more than 10,000 cases before the United States Department of Labor.  Our firm litigates before the District Director, the Office of Administrative Law Judges, the Benefits Review Board and the Circuit Court of Appeals.  We litigate throughout the United States, including West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and others. 

The attorneys and legal assistants on our Federal Black Lung Defense Team devote all or a substantial portion of their practice to defending our Federal Black Lung clients.  Each has years of experience in developing and litigating cases at a high level of efficiency. 

Over the past several years, we engineered our Federal Black Lung practice to provide defense services more cost-effectively and efficiently.  We were one of the first firms to train and use competent paralegals in order to cut costs to clients.  We train our paralegals to perform a wider variety of tasks so that our attorneys can focus on those areas that better require their knowledge and skills. 

In addition, Bowles Rice was one of the first firms to further increase productivity by digitalizing our case files and eliminating the need for constant paper file review and transfer between attorneys and paralegals.  The result is a highly efficient system of case management and development, which decreases defense costs to our clients, while ensuring that each case is uncompromisingly litigated.  We also work closely with our clients in accordance with their specific direction, to keep them informed and involved in decisions about case development and litigation.