Kentucky attorney wins administrative appeal in black lung dispute to secure fees
By Austin R. Ramsey
Appeared in The Lexington Herald Leader on May 22, 2026
A Martin County attorney who helped two disabled Kentucky miners retain interim black lung benefits against coal operators trying to dispute the benefits has scored a major victory in court. Inez attorney Leonard Stayton secured a ruling from a federal administrative appeals court that will require coal companies to pay attorneys’ fees and related costs required to defend the miners’ care. The decision marks a turning point in black lung disputes that have evolved recently to see coal operators go after the medical care miners received while they were defending their initial black lung claims.
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