MADISON – A jury in Boone County last week awarded a miner about $2 million for an injury he suffered while working for a Massey Energy subsidiary.
Stanley Stevenson II was given $189,100 for medical expenses and other damages and $1.8 million for lost wages from a 2006 lawsuit he brought against Independence Coal and Spartan Mining accusing them of negligence and deliberate intent.
Spartan Mining and the deliberate intent count were dismissed from the lawsuit by the court.
Stevenson was a general laborer and belt-man at the Justice No. 1 mine near Richardson in Boone. His job often required him to travel on a man-trip, which takes miners to work sites on an underground rail system.
On Jan. 31, 2005, Stevenson was traveling alone on a man-trip when the vehicle's brake system failed on a declivity, according to his complaint.
He managed to get the vehicle stopped and reported the incident to mine management. A repairman was sent out to fix the brakes and Stevenson set off for the work site.
The vehicle's brakes failed again and Stevenson again managed to get the vehicle stopped. In an attempt to move the man-trip off the main rail and avoid collision with another man-trip, Stevenson stuck his right hand in the vehicle's brake system, the complaint says.
The brake system either shifted or slid, the complaint said, and Stevenson's hand became lodged between the brake head and the frame of the man-trip. Stevenson was seriously injured.
Stevenson was represented by Harry Hatfield, Matt Hatfield and Mark Atkinson.
Miner awarded $2M for injury in Boone case
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