Black lung

Federal civil · Social Security · 437 cases filed and closed (1988–present).

437

Cases filed

80.3%

Ended before a merits judgment

351 of 437 cases

22.1%

Plaintiff win

of 86 merits judgments

69.8%

Defendant win

of merits judgments

Most cases never reach a ruling on the merits. Of 437 filed, 80.3% closed without one — settled, dismissed, transferred, or remanded. The win rates above describe only the 86 that a judge actually decided.

How they closed

Dismissed38.4%
Remanded20.4%
Defendant win13.7%
Affirmed8.9%
Denied4.6%
Plaintiff win4.3%
Settled4.1%
Other2.1%
Transferred1.8%
Decided — other1.4%
Mixed0.2%

Where you file matters

The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.

Read the law behind black lung

Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.