Doe v. Standard Insurance Co.

Plaintiff worked at a Maine law firm for more than twenty-five years and, for many years, was an equity partner. In 2012, Plaintiff filed a long term disability (LTD) claim with Defendant Standard Insurance Company, the claim administrator and insurer of the employee welfare benefit plan offered by Plaintiff’s law firm to its employees. The plan was insured by an LTD policy, also issued by Defendant and which covered Plaintiff. Defendant told Plaintiff that it would approve her claim and that it would use January 28, 2012 as the disability onset date. This appeal concerned only what disability onset year should be used to calculate Plaintiff’s monthly disability amount, Plaintiff arguing that the onset date was on November 2011. The district court entered judgment for Defendant. The First Circuit reversed, holding that Defendant’s decision to use the 2012 onset date was arbitrary and capricious. Remanded to the district court with direction to order Defendant to award Plaintiff retroactive benefits based on a disability onset date of no later than 2011. View "Doe v. Standard Insurance Co." on Justia Law