Donald Jebian v. Hewlett-Packard Company Employee Benefits Organization Income Protection Plan Erisa Plan

**What Happened** Donald Jebian, a Hewlett-Packard employee, filed a lawsuit against his company's employee benefits plan seeking income protection benefits under ERISA (a federal law that governs workplace benefit plans). Jebian believed he was entitled to certain benefits from HP's income protection plan but was apparently denied or had issues accessing those benefits. **What the Court Decided** The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed Jebian's case in November 2003. The court ruled against Jebian, meaning he did not receive the benefits he was seeking. No damages were awarded in this case. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights the challenges employees can face when trying to claim benefits from their employer's ERISA plans. ERISA cases can be difficult to win because these federal benefit plans have specific rules and procedures that must be followed exactly. When workers believe they're entitled to disability, income protection, or other ERISA benefits, they should carefully review their plan documents and consider getting help from someone familiar with ERISA law, as these cases involve complex federal regulations that can be hard to navigate alone.