Blankenship v. Schweiker

ERVIN, Circuit Judge:

This action involves four cases consolidated for the purpose of appeal. In each instance the Secretary of The Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary) is challenging the award of attorney’s fees by the district court in a black lung disability case. Because the district court did not articulate its reasons for the amount of fees it granted, we vacate the attorney fee awards and remand for specific delineations of the reasons for future awards of fees.

Each of these cases involved black lung disability claimants who were represented at the district court level by…