In Young v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, No. 24-CV-4611 (PJS/DTS), 2026 WL 2874085 (D. Minn. Sept. 24, 2026), U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz granted summary judgment to Aetna and upheld the termination of long-term disability benefits under an
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.
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No Objective Proof, No Benefits: Massachusetts Court Upholds Hartford’s Termination of ERISA Long-Term Disability Benefits
In Germana v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, No. 23-30065-MGM, 2026 WL 2823567 (D. Mass. Sept. 21, 2026), United States District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni granted Hartford’s motion for summary judgment and denied Plaintiff’s cross-motion, upholding the termination…
ERISA Plan Forfeits Deferential Review by Failing to Explain Conflicting Vocational Opinions
In Schuyler v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2026 WL 2823712 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 18, 2026), United States District Judge Ronnie Abrams denied cross-motions for summary judgment in an ERISA long-term disability dispute and remanded the claim to Sun…
ERISA De Novo Review and the Burden of Proof: California Court Affirms Unum’s Termination of Long-Term Disability Benefits
In Syed v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. CV 25-01052-MWF (CTSx), 2026 WL 2807048 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 18, 2026), United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald affirmed Unum’s termination of a corporate lawyer’s long-term disability benefits under…
Federal Court Applies De Novo Review, Awards ERISA Mental Health Benefits After Plan Fails to Delegate Discretion to Its Reviewer
In Doe v. The Signature Benefits Plan and the Disney Severance Pay Plan, No. SA CV 24-2230 DMG (DFMx), 2026 WL 2790684 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 17, 2026), Chief United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, following a half-day bench…
Parkinson’s Doesn’t Improve: District of Oregon Reinstates ERISA Long-Term Disability Benefits Unum Terminated After Surveilling a Claimant’s Astrology Hobby
In Zayn v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. 3:25-cv-01190-JR, 2026 WL 2719813 (D. Or. Sept. 15, 2026), United States Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo granted judgment to Plaintiff and ordered reinstatement of the long-term disability benefits Unum…
Why a Treating Doctor’s Support Letter Wasn’t Enough: N.D. California Upholds Reliance Standard’s ERISA Disability Termination
In Bachand v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, No. 25-cv-02061-MMC, 2026 WL 2723471 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 15, 2026), Judge Maxine M. Chesney of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied Plaintiff’s motion for judgment…
When the File Reviewers Win: N.D. Ohio Upholds Unum’s Denial of ERISA Long-Term Disability Benefits for a Claimant with Epilepsy
In DiGeronimo v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, No. 1:22-cv-00773, 2026 WL 2718210 (N.D. Ohio Sept. 14, 2026), United States District Judge David A. Ruiz granted judgment on the administrative record to Unum and denied Plaintiff’s cross-motion, upholding…
What Happens When an ERISA Plan Administrator Ignores Your Request for Documents?
In Haldeman v. Mass General Brigham Inc., No. 25-cv-10331-ADB, 2026 WL 2687259 (D. Mass. Sept. 14, 2026), a federal court in Massachusetts awarded a $5,000 statutory penalty against an ERISA plan administrator that took 230 days to provide plan…
ERISA Fiduciary Status and Medical Advisory Physicians: New Jersey Court Dismisses Breach Claims Against NFL Disability Plan Doctors
In Glaud v. NFL Player Disability and Survivor Benefit Plan, No. 25-cv-15373-ESK-EAH, 2026 WL 2664386 (D.N.J. Sept. 10, 2026), United States District Judge Edward S. Kiel dismissed with prejudice two ERISA breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims against the physicians who reviewed a…