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In Okuno v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, the plaintiff was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Sjogren’s syndrome and possibly narcolepsy. Her claim for long-term disability was denied when Reliance determined she could perform the duties of her own occupation. She exhausted her administrative remedies and filed this lawsuit under the provisions of ERISA. In court, she claimed Reliance erred in determining she was not disabled from her own occupation instead of analyzing whether she was disabled from any occupation. The district court disagreed with the plaintiff holding that when Reliance determined she could perform her own occupation it “of course recognized that she could perform a job fitting within the plan definition of ‘any occupation.’”
Continue Reading If Claimant Can Work in Own Occupation She Can Work in Any Occupation

When reviewing a claim for disability benefits a plan administrator is not required to do an in-person exam of the claimant. However, in certain circumstances courts have found that an administrator’s failure to do so is arbitrary and capricious.
Continue Reading Reliance Standard abused its discretion when failing to conduct in-person exam for psychiatric disability

Although this recently decided case was not handled by Attorneys Dell & Schaefer Chartered, it can be used an educational tool for those currently on claim or those thinking of making a claim for disability benefits.

The Factual Background

Sylvia R. suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Being employed by GAF Materials Corporation she was apparently covered by a Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance Policy that would provide her with an income should be unable to perform the duties of her occupation. This Policy was with the Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company.Continue Reading Court Upholds Reliance Standard’s Decision to Deny Continued Long Term Disability Benefits to former GAF Materials Corporation Employee

Disability Blog & Cases:
Are Independent Medical Evaluation (IME) Providers Really “Independent”?

After being twice denied continued disability benefits, an Addiction Medicine Physician, with the help of his California Disability Attorney, was forced to file a lawsuit against Hartford.

Disability Blog & Cases:
North Carolina Court Determines That Sedgwick Abused Their Discretion And Wrongfully Denied …

In Daniel C. Vs Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, the Plaintiff has filed a lawsuit with the help of his Ohio Disability Lawyer for the termination of long term disability benefits that were promised under the Plan provided by Plaintiff’s employer, United Dairy Farmers, Inc. (UDF).

History of the Plaintiff

Plaintiff worked at UDF…

Two different ERISA lawsuits were recently filed by disability attorneys in California and Florida against Reliance Standard Insurance Company for the wrongful denial of disability benefits.

The First Case

In the first case, the plaintiff, through a California disability attorney filed a lawsuit in the District Court for Eastern California. The plaintiff was employed by…

June 22, 2011 – A recent opinion from the Ninth Circuit United States Court of Appeals has helped clarify the rules as to who you can sue in actions for benefits under a long term disability policy See Cyr v. Reliance Standard & Channel Technologies, 2011 WL 2464440, June 22, 2011. The Court concluded…