United States Tenth Circuit

PIRKHEIM v. FIRST UNUM LIFE INS., 99-1297

General ERISA principles do not permit a court to re-write the terms of an insurance contract. Where the insuring clause or exclusionary provision is conspicuous, clear, and unequivocal, application of the common law doctrine of reasonable expectation is improper.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/24/2000
• Published 10/25/2000

Judges

• BRORBY, Circuit Judge., Before BRORBY, HOLLOWAY and BRISCOE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Tenth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Diane Vaksdal Smith (Scott J. Eldredge with her on the briefs) of Burg Simpson Eldredge & Hersh, P.C., Englewood, Colorado, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Sandra L. Spencer (Todd Clarke with her on the brief) of White and Steele, P.C., Denver, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellee.