Attorneys’ Fees

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Ruling gives benefits, but not lawyer fees

Hopkins v. Prudential Insur.Co. of America, 2006 WL 1343432 (N.D. Ill., May 12). Plaintiff, an employee of Bank One Corporation, challenged his disability insurer’s invocation of a preexisting condition exclusion to deny him long-term disability benefits. Hopkins was first employed by Bank One in 1999, and elected long-term disability insurance coverage when he commenced employment. […]

Attorney’s fees not enough to deter bad denials

The plaintiff commenced this action seeking injunctive relief under the ERISA statute after Prudential terminated her benefit claim for the third time. Perkins v. Prudential Insur. Co. of America, 417 F.Supp.2d 1149 (C.D.Cal. March 1, 2006). Perkins initially became disabled in 1997; after Prudential denied her claim, litigation resulted in an award of benefits. Another […]