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Herbert A. SLAMEN, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. PAUL REVERE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, a Corporation, Defendant-Appellee

11th CircuitFebruary 1, 1999No. 98-6147Cited 35 times
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Case Details

Judge(s)
Dubina, Barkett, Jones
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Published
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal
State
Alabama

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

Breach of Contract

Outcome

The Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal and remanded to state court, finding that plaintiff's disability insurance policy was not governed by ERISA because it covered only the business owner and no employees, thus the federal court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the claim.

What This Ruling Means

**Insurance Claim Dispute Ends in Company's Favor** Herbert Slamen filed a lawsuit against Paul Revere Life Insurance Company over a disputed insurance claim. The specific details of what type of insurance or the exact nature of the disagreement aren't provided in the available information, but Slamen believed the insurance company wrongfully denied or handled his claim improperly. The court ruled against Slamen and in favor of Paul Revere Life Insurance Company. When Slamen appealed this decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, that court also sided with the insurance company, rejecting his appeal entirely. This meant the original court's decision stood firm. This case highlights an important reality for workers who rely on employer-provided insurance or purchase coverage from insurance companies. Insurance disputes can be challenging to win in court, even when employees feel they've been treated unfairly. The courts' decisions suggest that Paul Revere Life Insurance Company followed proper procedures in handling Slamen's claim. For workers, this underscores the importance of thoroughly understanding insurance policy terms, keeping detailed records of all communications with insurers, and ensuring claims are filed correctly and completely from the start.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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