The Summit – Blog
2018: THE COMING ERISA DISABILITY REGULATIONS AND A BIT OF GOOD NEWS FOR CLAIMANTS
Insurance companies administering ERISA long-term disability claims may be facing new rules. In 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council undertook a study on issues relating to managing disability claims in the ERISA administrative review context....
MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS: THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IS RUNNING BEFORE THE HARM CATCHES UP.
The Michigan Court of Appeals has held that, for the purposes of a claim under the Court of Claims Act, the statute of limitations may begin to run prior to any actual deprivation of financial benefit. In Bauserman v. Unemployment Insurance Agency, No. 333181 (Mich....
A LAWYER’S TOUGH TALK ON LONG TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIMS
In twenty years of handling employee benefit disputes, I have made a few observations on the ways to keep a long-term disability insurance claim in “approved status” or “open” as insurance companies say. A disability claimant’s medical file should include an accurate...
STATE BAR OF MICHIGAN PUBLISHES J.J. CONWAY LAW ARTICLE ON ERISA’S CLAIMS PROCESS
The State Bar of Michigan has published an article authored by J.J. Conway, Esq. discussing the judicially mandated administrative claims process required by ERISA Section 503, 29 U.S.C. 1133. The article, published in the Michigan Bar Journal, discusses ways that...
COURT RULES THAT ERISA DISABILITY APPEAL REQUIREMENTS MUST APPEAR IN PLAN TO BE ENFORCED
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has held that an insurer must advise a long-term disability claimant of its internal appeal requirement within the actual plan document in order to establish a failure to exhaust defense. In Wallace...
10 Questions About Disability Insurance Claims For J.J. Conway, ESQ.
How would you describe your typical client? Our clientele is quite diverse. We represent as broad a range of clients as you can imagine. Since our litigation practice focuses on employee benefits — like disability insurance disputes – we serve people of all ages and...
Long-Term Disability Insurance — What Went Wrong?
We have all been there at some point in our lives. A promise is made. A promise is broken. We feel cheated, and maybe even a little hurt. When you feel that you operate from a place of honesty, and others do not, the entire experience can be disillusioning. In...
BIG LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE SETTLEMENTS
10 Practical Considerations for the Long-Term Disability Claimant Considering a Lump Sum Settlement of an Insurance or ERISA ClaimA beloved client who suffered from a serious and debilitating illness finally seemed to get a break. After years of pursuing his claim,...
A BASIC GUIDE TO ERISA BENEFITS CLAIMS FOR NON-ERISA LAWYERS
What is ERISA?“ERISA” is an acronym standing for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 which went into effect on January 1, 1975. The statute was designed to protect employee pensions and other employee benefits. 29 U.S.C. §1001 et seq. The statute...