In Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101 (1989), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that benefit claims under the ERISA law should be evaluated under principles of trust law, which allows discretionary authority to be vested in trustees to determine eligibility to receive benefits and to interpret the plan documents. At the […]
A recent ruling from the federal court in Atlanta, Johnson v. Metropolitan Life Ins.Co., 2008 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 42944 (N.D.Ga. May 30, 2008), offered a very interesting and thorough analysis of a disability benefit dispute. In Johnson, the plaintiff, who had worked for Cingular for more than 13 years as a ”field coordinator, global accounts,” suffered from […]
Group disability benefits are typically offset by both Social Security disability benefits and by awards of workers’ compensation. In Alloway v. ReliaStar Life Ins.Co., 2008 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 34853 (C.D.Cal. April 28, 2008), the district court took a fresh look at workers’ compensation offsets, and the result proved beneficial to claimants. Alloway was a class action consisting […]
A decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut prevents the review of a doctor’s report in a disability case.
Employee benefits issues have occupied the courts recently and will continue to do so. Court decisions have reflected the most prevalent current economic issues, and also have addressed issues that will be decisive in the upcoming national election. For example, the debate over national health care has resulted in conflicting decisions relating to local initiatives […]