The day after the 2014 Super Bowl is the perfect day for illustrating the difficulty of obtaining disability benefits under ERISA no matter what kind of work you do. This “difficulty” principle is best demonstrated in the words of a well-respected ERISA attorney who normally works in the corner of employers and insurance companies.

Attorney Stephen D. Rosenberg writes the Boston ERISA & Insurance Litigation Blog. His posts generally favor the employer side of ERISA issues, so he knows what it takes for a claimant to obtain ERISA benefits.

In his January 30 blog, Mr. Rosenberg reported on the case of Dwight Harrison who played in the NFL for the Raiders, the Bills, the Colts and the Denver Broncos during a 10-year NFL career. For those who don’t know, the NFL’s disability benefits and pension plans are covered by ERISA.

Mr. Harrison had been receiving NFL disability payments for many years when he applied for a disability benefit increase. What he wound up with was the League not only denying him, but:

• He lost the disability benefit he had been receiving.
• He lost separate pension payments he had been receiving.
• He lost prior disability and pension benefits of $236,626 he had received.
• He lost $99,112.50 in NFL legal fees he was ordered to pay.

How did this happen? Basically, Mr. Rosenberg says, because Mr. Harrison had attorneys who had little or no experience in litigating ERISA cases. If you have a lawyer who has been around the ERISA block a few times, your chances of success in litigating an ERISA claim with an employer or insurance company, even one as tough as the NFL, improve substantially.

The Rosenberg blog clearly states that the amount of experience a lawyer has in handling ERISA matters makes a “huge difference” to the outcome of ERISA cases. This is particularly so, Mr. Rosenberg says, when there is a “well-lawyered” adversary as is usually the case when an insurance company is involved.

Mr. Rosenberg states flatly that a claimant’s ERISA case cannot be properly litigated by “…anyone who doesn’t have substantial experience and expertise in this area of the law.”

One of the things we like best about being an ERISA attorney is that when a prospective client asks if he or she needs to retain an experienced lawyer to handle an ERISA matter we can answer “yes” with a clear conscience.

In a 4th and goal situation, a veteran quarterback is most likely to score.