Fiduciary Duty, Long Term Disability Insurance

A Collage of Cases: Recent Decisions in Life, Disability, and Accidental Death Insurance Litigation

Carlton Fields on 9/3/2025

ERISA – Attorneys’ Fees and Social Security Disability Offset - In Stark v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co., the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court order dismissing ERISA claims brought by the...more

The LHD/ERISA Advisor: District Court Finds Reduction in Monthly LTD Benefit Due to IRA Rollover Appropriate Under Plan Terms

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP on 10/27/2021

In DeBold v. Liberty Life Assur. Co. of Bos., 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120153 (D. Mass, June 28, 2021), a district court held that an ERISA plan administrator could reduce an insured's monthly long-term disability (LTD) benefit...more

This Week at The Ninth: Employees, Independent Contractors, and ERISA

Morrison & Foerster LLP - Left Coast Appeals on 8/21/2020

This week, this Ninth Circuit once again issued a number of opinions arising from the employment relationship. Here, we focus on two of particular interest. In the first, the Court sought to unravel whether an emergency room...more

The LHD/ERISA Advisor: Ninth Circuit Affirms Judgment for Unum Life In ERISA Disability Benefits Case

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP on 6/8/2020

In Western v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, 798 F.App'x 154, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 8362 (9th Cir. March 17, 2020), the Ninth Circuit affirmed Unum Life's determination that an aerospace engineer diagnosed with...more

Back to Basics – Costly Consequences of Ignoring Process in Benefits Administration

Stinson - Benefits Notes Blog on 5/19/2017

The stories of an employer and a long-term disability insurer and claims fiduciary for an ERISA plan, defendants in two recent cases, ring so true. In the first case, the insurer was designated as claims fiduciary for an...more

Does the Fiduciary Exception Apply to Legal Advice Received By Insurers During the Claims Process

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 3/9/2017

Seyfarth Synopsis: Adding to the body of conflicting authority on the scope of the attorney-client privilege in ERISA lawsuits, a district court has found that the fiduciary exception to attorney-client privilege applies to...more