Pneumoconiosis Law and Legal Definition
Pneumoconiosis is defined as “a chronic dust disease of the lung and its sequelae, including respiratory and pulmonary impairments, arising out of coal mine employment. It includes both "clinical" pneumoconiosis and "legal" pneumoconiosis. The regulations define clinical (or medical) pneumoconiosis as those diseases recognized by the medical community as pneumoconiosis, i.e., the conditions characterized by permanent deposition of substantial amounts of particulate matter in the lungs and the fibrotic reaction of the lung tissue to that deposition caused by dust exposure in coal mine employment. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, anthracosilicosis, anthracosis, anthrosilicosis, massive pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis or silicotuberculosis, arising out of coal mine employment. Legal (or statutory) pneuomoconiosis is a broader term. It describes any chronic lung disease or impairment and its sequelae arising out of coal mine employment, including any chronic restrictive or obstructive pulmonary disease arising out of coal mine employment.” Greene v. King James Coal Mining, Inc., 575 F.3d 628 (6th Cir. 2009)
