On September 25, 2026, a federal jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia returned a verdict in favor of Ramaco Resources, LLC, a subsidiary of Ramaco Resources, Inc. The jury awarded $30.0 million in damages to Ramaco LLC against defendants Federal Insurance Company and ACE American Insurance Company, both subsidiaries of Chubb Insurance, in a lawsuit regarding an insurance coverage dispute.
The litigation stems from a partial structural failure of a raw coal storage silo at Ramaco’s Elk Creek preparation plant that occurred on November 5, 2018. Ramaco LLC filed suit in August 2019 seeking a declaratory judgment that the collapse was an insurable event and that the carriers were required to cover the claim. Following a complex legal history that included appeals and remands, a new trial on Hayseeds damages commenced on September 22, 2026.
The jury determined by a preponderance of the evidence that Ramaco LLC is entitled to $2,500,000 for aggravation and inconvenience and $27,500,000 for net economic loss caused by the delay in settlement. These amounts represent two of the three elements of damages in the case; the third element, attorney’s fees, was not decided by the jury and will be determined by the Court. The defendants have 28 days to file post-trial motions and 30 days from the entry of final judgment to file a notice of appeal.
