United States Eighth Circuit

A judgment affirming a plan's denial of plaintiff's claim for long-term disability benefits under a plan governed by ERISA is reversed where the district court erred in applying an abuse-of-discretion, as opposed to de novo, standard to defendant's decisions since the policy in the administrative record did not grant defendant discretion to determine eligibility for benefits.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/21/2006
• Published 03/21/2006

Judges

• BYE, Circuit Judge., Before BYE, BEAM, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Luther O. Sutter, argued, Little Rock, AR, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Joshua Bachrach, argued, Philadelphia, PA, for appellee.