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Case Law Database

Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Block Coal & Coke Co. v. United Mine Workers

This dissenting opinion addresses a claim for unemployment compensation benefits by thousands of coal miners (United Mine Workers of America, District No. 19) against their employers, the Block Coal and Coke Company and other coal operators, for the period of April 1 to May 8, 1939. The core legal question is whether their unemployment stemmed from a 'labor dispute' under Tennessee law, which would disqualify them from benefits. The Commissioner of Labor initially granted benefits, reversed by the Board of Review, then reinstated by the Chancery Court. The coal operators appealed. Justice DeHaven dissents, arguing that the unemployment was due to the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement and ongoing negotiations, not an active labor dispute. He contends that deeming negotiations a dispute would undermine collective bargaining and that the statute requires a localized labor activity like a strike or lockout at the workplace. He concludes that the chancellor's decision to allow benefits should have been affirmed, implying the majority denied the benefits.

Unemployment CompensationLabor DisputeCollective BargainingContract ExpirationStatutory InterpretationTennessee Unemployment Compensation LawWorkers' RightsEmployer-Employee RelationsAppellate CourtDissenting Opinion
References
6
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Smith v. Fentress Coal & Coke Co.

Fannie Smith sued Fentress Coal and Coke Company for workers' compensation following the death of her husband, Thurman Smith, who died of arsenic poisoning. Smith, a coal miner, became ill in the defendant's mine in March 1946 and died in November 1946. The petitioner argued his death was an accidental injury resulting from arsenic exposure from corroded copper wires in the mine. However, expert medical testimony refuted that the trace amounts of arsenic in the wires could cause poisoning, and a fellow worker who shared Smith's coffee also became violently ill. Both the trial court and the appellate court found the claim speculative, concluding that the death was not an accidental injury under the Workmen's Compensation Act, nor an occupational disease covered by the 1947 amendment. The trial court's decision to dismiss the petition was affirmed.

Workers' CompensationAccidental InjuryOccupational DiseaseArsenic PoisoningCoal MiningCausationSpeculative EvidenceMedical Expert TestimonyPreponderance of EvidenceTennessee Law
References
9
Case No. No. 3431
Regular Panel Decision

Lewis v. Pennington

This consolidated case addresses antitrust and common law claims stemming from labor disputes between coal operators and the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) in Tennessee from 1955-1959. Plaintiffs, including W. R. Parton and Dean Coal Company, alleged UMW conspired with major coal operators to eliminate small competitors through illegal agreements and predatory pricing under the Sherman Act. The Court found insufficient evidence to substantiate the antitrust claims. However, it granted common law claims by Parton Coal Company and Dean Coal Company, holding UMW liable for tortious interference via violence and intimidation, awarding Parton $160,000.00 and Dean $151,787.41 in total damages.

Labor DisputeAntitrust LawSherman ActCoal IndustryUnion ViolenceTortious InterferenceDamages AwardedCollective BargainingWage AgreementsPredatory Pricing
References
50
Case No. 14-18-00800-CV
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 23, 2021

Ana Lisa Mines, Personal Representative of the Estate of Jorge Luis Mines, and Old American Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. Kenon D. Murphy

This case involves an appeal from jury verdicts in favor of Kenon D. Murphy, who sustained injuries in a motor vehicle collision caused by Jorge Luis Mines. Appellants, Ana Lisa Mines, personal representative of Mines' estate, and Old American Mutual Fire Insurance Company, raised several issues, including the non-enforcement of an alleged settlement agreement, errors in jury instructions, and the sufficiency of evidence for lost wages and future medical expenses. The appellate court affirmed most aspects of the trial court's judgment but determined that the evidence supporting the award for future medical expenses was factually insufficient. Consequently, the court suggested a remittitur of $7,000, which would reduce the total damages awarded to $505,859.00. The court also upheld the trial court's decision to allow a trial amendment regarding Ana Lisa Mines's capacity as a defendant.

Motor Vehicle CollisionPersonal InjuryNegligenceGross NegligenceSettlement AgreementJury VerdictExpert Witness TestimonyMedical ExpensesLost Earning CapacityAppellate Review
References
51
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Consolidation Coal Co. v. Brown

This case involves two appeals brought by Consolidation Coal Company, the employer, against its former employees, Elmer J. Brown and Charlie Phillips. The trial court found that both employees suffered from pneumoconiosis or silicosis, an occupational disease, rendering them permanently and totally disabled within the scope of the Workmen’s Compensation Law, directly arising from their employment in the defendant's coal mine. The employer contested the findings of permanent and total disability, citing lack of medical evidence and disregard of contrary evidence, respectively. Additionally, the employer argued that Mr. Brown's claim was time-barred and that Mr. Phillips's medical expenses from a non-designated physician were not recoverable. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's judgments, upholding the findings of disability, clarifying the distinction between medical and legal definitions of disability, and ruling that Mr. Brown's suit was timely. The court also allowed Mr. Phillips's medical expenses for the initial diagnosis of his condition.

Occupational DiseasePneumoconiosisSilicosisWorkers' Compensation LawPermanent Total DisabilityCoal Mining IndustryStatute of LimitationsMedical ExpensesEmployer LiabilityScope of Review
References
8
Case No. 13-14-00725-cv
Regular Panel Decision
Jul 23, 2015

Dos Republicas Coal Partnership v. David Saucedo, as Floodplain Administrator and County Judge of the Maverick County Commissioners Court, and the Maverick County Commissioners Court

Dos Republicas Coal Partnership (DRCP) appeals the Floodplain Administrator's denial of its permit for mining operations in a floodplain. DRCP argues the Administrator's decision, based on an over-expansive view of the ordinance and personal experience, renders the ordinance unconstitutionally vague and is preempted by state law. They contend their permit application met all conditions, as expert testimony showed the mining plan would decrease existing flood risks, making the permit grant a ministerial duty, not discretionary. DRCP also challenges the lack of a written explanation for the denial, arguing it signifies arbitrary and capricious action. The brief requests the Court to reverse the trial court's judgment and issue a writ of mandamus for the permit.

Floodplain ManagementCoal MiningPermit DenialAdministrative DiscretionStatutory PreemptionWater Quality RegulationTexas LawAppellate ReviewMandamusEnvironmental Law
References
26
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Heron v. Girdley

William Girdley, a miner, was found dead in a coal mine on May 4, 1953, while employed by Heron & McDonough Coal Company. His widow sought workers' compensation, alleging his death was a compensable accident arising from his employment. The Chancellor awarded compensation, finding that Girdley sustained a fatal heart injury while working. The defendants appealed, contending there was no material evidence to support the finding and that the case was speculative. The Supreme Court affirmed the Chancellor's decision, citing expert medical testimony that the physical exertion of pushing coal cars and poor air quality in the mine were contributing and accelerating factors to Girdley's death from myocarditis, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis.

Workers' CompensationOccupational DeathCoal Mining AccidentHeart ConditionPre-existing ConditionMedical CausationAggravation of DiseaseCircumstantial EvidenceBurden of ProofAppellate Review
References
9
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Mar 05, 1974

Tennessee Valley Authority v. Mason Coal, Inc.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) sought a permanent injunction against Mason Coal, Inc. to enforce a coal supply contract. Mason Coal halted deliveries, prompting TVA to seek judicial intervention due to an acute coal shortage and the critical need for power generation. The court determined that a valid contract existed between the parties, despite Mason Coal's refusal to formally execute it. Due to the unique nature of the specified coal, the energy crisis, and TVA's inability to secure alternative supplies, the court found TVA's legal remedies inadequate. Emphasizing the paramount public interest in a reliable electricity supply, the court granted the permanent injunction, ordering Mason Coal to resume deliveries while requiring TVA to make outstanding payments for past coal received.

Contract DisputeSpecific PerformancePreliminary InjunctionPermanent InjunctionCoal SupplyEnergy ShortageGovernment ContractsUnique GoodsInadequate Remedy at LawPublic Interest
References
27
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Barker v. Curtis

This workmen's compensation case examines whether Mr. Curtis was an employee or an independent contractor of Black Coal Company. Curtis sustained injuries in an automobile accident while en route from the mines to the company office. The Chancellor determined Curtis was an employee, citing Black Coal Company's control over mining methods, quantity, and delivery, as well as evidence of compensation coverage for Curtis. The appellate court affirmed this decision, emphasizing the liberal construction of the Workmen's Compensation Act and upholding the Chancellor's findings of fact supported by material evidence.

Employee Status DeterminationIndependent Contractor ClassificationWorkmen's Compensation ActEmployer Control FactorsMining OperationsIndustrial InjuryAppellate Court AffirmationChancellor's Factual FindingsStatutory InterpretationLabor Relations
References
9
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Hill v. Four-Leaf Coal Co.

Julius Hill, a 55-year-old former coal miner with no formal education, developed coal worker's pneumoconiosis while employed as a truck driver for Four-Leaf Coal Company. He terminated his employment in May 1973 due to breathing difficulties. A medical examination in June 1973 by Dr. William K. Swann found him totally and permanently disabled. The case involved an appeal from the trial court's judgment regarding workmen's compensation benefits. The court affirmed the finding of total disability under federal and state statutes for coal miners but remanded the case for a recalculation of benefits according to the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and T.C.A. § 50-1105, sustaining the employee's assignments of error. The employer's arguments regarding lack of injurious exposure after leaving their employment were overruled.

Coal MinerPneumoconiosisOccupational DiseaseTotal Permanent DisabilityWorkmen's CompensationFederal Coal Mine Health and Safety ActInjurious ExposureMedical ExaminationRemandAffirmed
References
5
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