Wyoming Co. man says he was injured in mine

MADISON – A Wyoming County man and his wife are suing over claims he was injured while working in a mine.

Christopher B. and April M. Blankenship filed a lawsuit Sept. 8 in Boone Circuit Court against Brooks Run Mining Company LLC, Maxxim Shared Services LLC, Alpha Natural Resources Inc., Alpha Natural Resources Services LLC, Amfire LLC and Brooks Run South Mining LLC, citing negligence.

According to the complaint, Christopher Blankenship was injured at Still Run No. 3 underground coal mine, which was operated and whose security was overseen by the defendant companies, on Oct. 20, 2012, when he was attempting to adjust a mine operator's curtain and a rib roll occurred, causing a large rock to strike him.

The complaint states that Alpha Natural Resources knew about the dangers of inadequate rib bolting in its mines, as a miner had been killed on March 10, 2012, due to an inadequate rib bolting method. The defendants are accused of negligence/recklessness and deliberate intent, and April Blankenship is suing for loss of consortium.

The Blankenships are seeking compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys' fees.

They are being represented in the case by attorneys Robert D. Cline, Robert A. Campbell and R. Chad Duffield of Farmer, Cline & Campbell PLLC in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge William S. Thompson.

Boone Circuit Court case number: 14-C-166