Gorski v. ITT Long Term Disability Plan for Salaried Employees

**Gorski v. ITT Long Term Disability Plan: Court Protects Worker's Disability Benefits** This case involved a dispute over long-term disability (LTD) benefits. Gorski, an employee at ITT Automotive, had been receiving disability payments but the company's insurance plan later cut off her benefits. She challenged this decision, arguing that the termination was wrongful and that she was still entitled to the payments. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Gorski. The court overturned a lower court's decision that had favored the insurance plan. Instead, the appeals court ordered that Gorski's disability benefits be restored and sent the case back to the lower court to consider awarding her additional money for interest and attorney's fees. This ruling is significant for workers because it shows that courts will scrutinize decisions by employer-sponsored disability plans when they cut off benefits. Workers who believe their long-term disability benefits were wrongfully terminated have legal options and may be able to get their benefits reinstated. The decision also suggests that workers might recover attorney's fees and interest if they successfully challenge improper benefit denials, which can make it more feasible to fight these decisions in court.