According to the Kentucky Supreme Court, legislators need to amend a state law that violates the rights of coal miners specifically miners suffering from black lung disease.

Officials say the problem with the law is it discriminates against coal miners.

The unconstitutional procedures date back to 1996. Each year nearly 400 coal miners die from black lung disease.

Black lung a disease caused by years of inhaling black dust, affects nearly 3% of coal miners. Since 1996 workers' compensation for this disease has been hard to come by for coal miners in Kentucky.

Mr Clinton Kliburn a retired coal miner with black lung said "All coal miners should be covered 100%. All of them working in the coal mine outside and inside."

Less than 300 coal miners have received workers' compensation since 2002.

Mr Will T Scott Kentucky Supreme Court Justice said "It is much more difficult for a coal miner to get compensation for pneumoconiosis than it is for any other members of the same class, and these people have pneumoconiosis. It is the same disease."

A ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court just last week is trying to change that.

Officials say the big issue is that coal miners are not being treated equally and deserve the same rights as everyone else.

(Sourced from www.wkyt.com)