Zaeske v. Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston, No. 17-2496 (8th Cir. 2018)
Annotate this CaseThe Eighth Circuit reversed the district court's judgment against Liberty Life in an action filed by plaintiff under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), alleging that the company's denial of long-term disability benefits under his employer's welfare plan was an abuse of discretion. The court held that Liberty Life's decision was not an abuse of discretion because the medical opinions the district court rejected were supported by medical evidence and were sufficiently reliable to provide a reasonable basis for defendant to deny the claim. The court also vacated the award of attorney's fees.
Court Description: Colloton, Author, with Bowman and Benton, Circuit Judges] Civil case - ERISA. The district court erred in determining that defendant abused its discretion by denying plaintiff's application for long-term disability benefits; the medical opinions the district court rejected were supported by medical evidence and were sufficiently reliable to provide a reasonable basis for defendant to deny the claim.
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