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ERISA : Denial Of Benefits – Long-Term Disability – Standard Of Review
Stephanie Maniscalco//January 7, 2015//
ERISA : Denial Of Benefits – Long-Term Disability – Standard Of Review
Stephanie Maniscalco//January 7, 2015//
Where a policy and the integrated certificate of insurance granted a plan administrator the discretion to determine eligibility for benefits, the abuse-of-discretion was the appropriate standard for the district court to apply in an denial-of-benefits case under ERISA, and the plan administrator’s decision to deny long-term disability benefits to a claimant was based on substantial evidence under this standard, so the court’s grant of summary judgment to the claimant is reversed and the award of attorney’s fees is vacated.
Judgment is reversed; vacated.
Johnson v. United of Omaha Life Insurance Company (MLW No. 67314/Case No. 13-2645 – 10 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, Shepherd, J.) Appealed from U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska, Bataillon, J. (Timothy J. Thalken, Omaha, Nebraska, argued for appellant) (Terry M. Anderson, Omaha, Nebraska, argued for appellee; Steven M. Lathrop and David Matthew O’Neill appeared on the brief).
Read the full text of this opinion. (PDF)
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