Nearly all of the miners who were trapped for 69 days in a Chilean mine last year have filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking $US540,000 each in damages.
A lawyer representing 31 of the 33 miners says he has filed the civil suit at a Santiago court.
The miners say the lawsuit is not about the money, but about setting a precedent so that such an accident does not happen again.
On 5 August 2010, a cave-in at the San Jose mine trapped the 33 for 69 days in an ordeal that ended with their rescue.
The lawsuit accuses the government agency that oversees mining of failing to ensure safety measures.
