Coal companies no longer presumed liable for damage above their mines

Federal regulators have removed a rule that presumed coal companies were responsible for damage to buildings above their underground mines. This means people whose homes are damaged by ground movement near a mine will now have to prove the mine caused it.

For years, if your house cracked above an underground coal mine, the company was presumed responsible. This rule change shifts the burden of proof entirely. Homeowners will now face a much harder and more expensive fight to get compensation for damage caused by mining.