A 20-year-old man recently died at the M-class Mine, which is located in Macedonia, Illinois. The Franklin County, Illinois, coroner said that the preliminary autopsy showed the man died from blunt trauma to his trunk, head, neck and extremities.
The Franklin County chief deputy coroner said that it was almost 9 p.m., when he was notified of the accident and responded to the mine. By then, he said, the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals and the Mine Safety and Health Administration were already there conducting their investigations. It would be another two and a half-hours before the body of the deceased miner was brought to the surface. The coroner pronounced him dead.
According to media reports, the man’s survivors include his wife and two children. One of his children was only 6 days old.
Over the years, the number of coal miners killed has gone down substantially. In 1900, coal mining incidents claimed over 1,400 lives. Last year, there were 16 fatalities. Over the last six year, M-Class Mining has had a minimum of four fatal accidents.
In 2014, a machine operator was caught between the coal rib and a roof bolting machine. In 2013, a cap rock and a piece of coal fell and struck a miner in the back. He was pinned against the panline’s working face side. In 2010, a man was installing stairs on the side of a mine fan housing. The stairs struck him in the chest when he was pinned against a manlift. In 2009, a miner fell around 38 feet. He had a lanyard and a harness on, but the lanyard wasn’t secured.
If you or someone you love are killed in a mining accident, you may be due compensation. An attorney can provide more information on your legal options.
Source: kfvs12.com, “Coroner: Marion, IL man died from blunt force trauma in mining accident,” Nichole Cartmell, Dec. 10, 2015
