Cline v. Joy Mfg. Co.

Tim Cline was a section boss at the defendant’s No. 5 Mine in Mingo County when he was tragically crushed between a rib of coal and the continuous mining machine he was operating. In the coal mines, a section boss is a first line supervisor. In reality, he is a man with no place to go. He is squarely situated in the middle of the traditional coal field tension between management and labor. Not only is he responsible for maintaining production, he must sometimes become involved in production itself. Due to his precarious position in the managerial hierarchy, a section boss is the first man to…