Ruttenberg v. U.S. Life

413 F.3d 652 (7th Cir. 2005). This was a successful appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals, where the court recognized that U.S. LIFE improperly denied benefits and misconstrued its policy. The ruling is significant for establishing in ERISA cases the applicability of two insurance law principles: contra proferentem (ambiguities in insurance policies are construed against the insurance company and in favor of the insured) and that the court will interpret questionable insurance policy terms in order to meet the “reasonable expectations of the insured.”