Disability insurance lawyers and claimants should be aware of a recently decided case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Garcia v. Colvin, 2013 U.S.App.LEXIS 25452 (7th Cir. December 20, 2013) was a recent opinion authored by Judge Richard Posner, who has gained a reputation for doing more than jurist since the […]
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are intended to apply to all civil actions adjudicated in federal court. However, without explanation, Employee Retirement Income Security Act(ERISA) cases receive different treatment, especially cases that involve disability insurance benefits. Although depositions of claim adjusters are routine in other insurance disputes, they are almost unheard of in ERISA […]
From time to time we comment on court opinions relevant to disability insurance and ERISA litigation – Gerhardt v. Liberty Life Assur.Co. of Boston, 2013 U.S.App.LEXIS 23912 (8th Cir. November 29, 2013)(Issue: Independent Medical Examinations; Transferable skills analysis). Lisa Gerhardt, a nurse, applied for disability benefits from her employer’s group long-term disability insurance company in […]
A life insurance case involving the issue of incontestability caught our attention. Patterson v. Reliance Standard Life Ins.Co., 2013 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 171873 (C.D.Cal. December 4, 2013)(Issue: Incontestability).
Despite the fact that the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are intended to apply to all civil actions adjudicated in federal court, ERISA cases receive different treatment, especially cases that involve disability insurance benefits. In Charles v. UPS National Long Term Disability Plan, 2013 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 164218 (E.D.Pa. November 19, 2013), the court was called upon to decide whether to allow a deposition of the claim adjuster who denied benefits.
After more than 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, many veterans are returning home with disabilities, some of which are latent and do not manifest themselves until years later. If a veteran who later qualifies for veteran benefits also receives disability benefits under their private-sector employer’s group long-term disability insurance plans, the question […]
A new court ruling is the first to recognize a fiduciary breach claim against a health insurer when misinformation given by its representative cost an employee his benefits.
An insurer’s choice to rely on file reviews in place of examinations can be critical to the outcome of litigation, a lesson taught by Tolstedt v. Standard Ins. Co., 2013 U.S.Dist.LEXIS 134946 (D.Mont. June 24, 2013). There, the plaintiff, Michael Tolstedt, a trial lawyer from Billings, Mont., began taking prescription medication for depression on Sept. […]
Federal courts of appeals have limited jurisdiction and may only hear appeals from final judgments. Recently, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was called upon to decide whether it had jurisdiction to hear an appeal of a benefit case decided under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Instead of entering judgment outright, the […]
A federal judge in Alabama (Karen Bowdre) recently issued a critical ruling in a disability case involving fibromyalgia. The court made numerous keen observations about the review process and the nature of fibromyalgia, carefully analyzing all of the issues presented. Here is our discussion and analysis of the court’s ruling: Williams v. United of Omaha […]
Litigation often involves sensitive personal issues that parties are reluctant to publicly disclose. Often in such cases, the parties resort to filing suit under a pseudonym to protect the identity of one or both of the parties. Cases involving disability benefits inherently relate to personal and confidential medical issues, yet courts rarely permit pseudonymous filings […]
Papotto v. Hartford Life & Acc.Ins.Co., 2013 U.S.App.LEXIS 19660 (3d Cir. September 26, 2013) is a significant recently issued case involving ERISA civil procedure. The underlying issue in this case dealt with an accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy. The policy excluded losses “sustained while Intoxicated.” Because the decedent had consumed alcohol prior to his […]