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Disability Insurance Blog
Fighting An Insurance Claim Denial Will Often Pay Off
It will not be surprising to many readers of this blog that insurance companies often deny life insurance, health insurance and disability insurance claims. Many times, insurance companies are wrong…
Ninth Circuit Clarifies ERISA’s Full and Fair Review Standard by Imposing New Requirements on Plan Administrators in Salomaa Case
ERISA requires that an administrator provide a claimant with a “full and fair” review of a denial decision. In a recent ruling entitled Salomaa v. Honda Long Term Disability Plan,…
Dental Hygienist Wins Large Jury Verdict in Disability Insurance Lawsuit
In 1996, Plaintiff Laura Kieffer developed carpal tunnel syndrome and severe cervical pain which forced her to stop working as a dental hygienist. Thereafter, Kieffer started receiving disability payments under…
Ninth Circuit Holds Tight to ERISA Interpretation Rule That Courts Will “Not Artificially Create Ambiguity Where None Exist”
In 1987 Robert Fier started working for the Boyd Group (“Boyd”) as a casino slot repairman. After a promotion to management, Fier subsequently enrolled into Boyd’s two benefits programs: a…
ERISA Claimant Retains Burden of Proof For Establishing Disability Under a De Novo Standard of Review
The question of who has the burden of proof can often decide the outcome of litigation. Given its importance, it is common to see litigants attempt to shift that burden…
Under ERISA , Procedural Deficiencies Not Considered When the Standard of Review is De Novo
Litigation pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) is rather unique. Unlike most cases, ERISA disputes are based on a limited scope of permissible evidence. The range of…
Disability Policy Discretionary Clauses Come Under Congressional Attack
Policyholder/Employee groups who have group disability insurance coverage through their employers and who find themselves operating in the byzantine world of ERISA have long criticized discretionary clauses contained in such…
The Waiver Doctrine, Alive And Well in ERISA Cases
The Wednesday August 11, 2010 edition of the Los Angeles Daily Journal featured my article, entitled “The Waiver Doctrine, Alive And Well in ERISA Cases,” in the Perspective column. It explains a…
Ninth Circuit Applies New Hardt Decision to Deny ERISA Participant Attorney’s Fees
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court handed ERISA plan participants a big victory when they decided the important ERISA disability case of Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance, __ U.S….
District Court Provides Additional Guidance on Scope of Discovery Under Glenn
In the last several years, the scope of discovery in ERISA cases has been a point of contention between plaintiff and defense counsel. Plaintiffs typically want free range to conduct discovery…
