In Stempel v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. 24 C 6077, 2026 WL 2241244 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 4, 2026), United States District Judge John F. Kness granted judgment to Unum on an ERISA long-term disability claim, holding
Roberts Disability Law Blog
Roberts Disability Law Blog, published by Roberts Disability Law, focuses on legal issues related to disability insurance claims, particularly under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The blog covers topics such as long-term and short-term disability benefits, wrongful denial of claims, fiduciary duties, arbitration in ERISA disputes, and litigation strategies against insurance companies. It also addresses related areas including life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) claims, severance benefits, and specific conditions like long-haul COVID. The blog provides analysis of court decisions, procedural standards, and practical guidance for claimants navigating disability benefit disputes.
Blog Authors
Latest from Roberts Disability Law Blog
N.D. Cal. Reinstates ERISA Disability Benefits Despite Normal Cognitive Test Scores
In O’Connor v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, No. 4:24-cv-08723-YGR, 2026 WL 2220173 (N.D. Cal. July 29, 2026), Chief United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers granted Plaintiff’s motion for judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52 and denied…
Ninth Circuit Vacates Class Certification in 401(k) Fee Case, Holding District Court Failed to Rigorously Analyze Typicality and Adequate Representation While Affirming Plaintiffs’ Standing
In Munoz v. Alorica, Inc., No. 25-7359, 2026 WL 2199195 (9th Cir. July 30, 2026), former participants in the Alorica 401(K) Retirement Plan brought this action under ERISA on behalf of a putative class, alleging that Defendants breached their…
Ninth Circuit Holds ERISA Plan’s Representative-Action Waiver Unenforceable Under Effective-Vindication Doctrine, Affirming Denial of Motion to Compel Arbitration
In Pover v. Capital Group Companies, Inc., — F.4th —-, No. 24-5298, 2026 WL 2196257 (9th Cir. July 30, 2026), Plaintiff sued her former employer, The Capital Group Companies, Inc., and its fiduciaries on behalf of the company’s defined-contribution…
Roberts Disability Law Defeats Unum’s Attempt to Move ERISA Disability Case: Court Keeps Long-Term Disability Claim in Plaintiff’s Chosen Forum
Roberts Disability Law, P.C. secured a procedural win for its client in Goldman v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. 3:26-cv-01022-LJC, —F.Supp.3d—-, 2026 WL 2184768 (N.D. Cal. July 21, 2026), where United States Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros denied…
Ninth Circuit Affirms Knowing and Voluntary Waiver of 401(k) Claims but Reverses Summary Judgment on Pension Plan Claims After Finding Triable Issue as to Whether Eligibility Amendment Was Backdated
In Raya v. Barka, No. 25-2394, __ F.4th __, 2026 WL 2168772 (9th Cir. July 28, 2026), Plaintiff sued his former employer, Calbiotech, Inc., several individual defendants, and Calbiotech’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Pension Plan, asserting ERISA claims…
ERISA Reaches Overseas: Court Holds ERISA Preempts State-Law Benefit Claims by Foreign Workers Injured Abroad
Ajeti v. Life Insurance Company of North America, No. 26-3249, 2026 WL 2150163 (E.D. Pa. July 27, 2026), addresses whether ERISA governs, and preempts, state-law claims brought by foreign nationals seeking disability benefits under a plan established by their…
Seventh Circuit Affirms Denial of Survivor Benefits Where Power of Attorney Lacked Express Authority to Waive Spousal Annuity Rights Under ERISA
In Havlik v. University of Chicago, No. 25-2821, — F.4th —-, 2026 WL 2084784 (7th Cir. July 20, 2026), a suit for ERISA benefits, the Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the University of Chicago, its two Section…
ERISA “Any Occupation” Standard Defeats MS Claimant: N.D. Illinois Court Upholds Unum’s Long-Term Disability Denial on De Novo Review
In Scorzo v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. 23-cv-3836, 2026 WL 2070002 (N.D. Ill. July 17, 2026), United States District Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings granted judgment to Unum and denied Plaintiff’s cross-motion, holding that Plaintiff, a former…
Seventh Circuit Affirms That ESOP Fiduciaries Did Not Breach Their Duties or Engage in a Prohibited Transaction in Approving the Sale of an ESOP-Owned Company
In Rush v. GreatBanc Trust Co., No. 25-1736, — F.4th —-, 2026 WL 2071139 (7th Cir. July 17, 2026), the Seventh Circuit affirmed a defense judgment entered after a three-week bench trial in a suit brought by a participant…