Lasandra Price v. Douglas Whiteman

**What Happened** Lasandra Price worked for Arthur Andersen LLP and received disability benefits through her employer's benefit plan. The plan administrators decided to stop her disability payments, and Price sued, claiming this violated her contract and that she was entitled to continue receiving benefits. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the employer's benefit plan. An appeals court upheld a lower court's decision that the plan administrators acted reasonably when they cut off Price's disability benefits. Under federal law governing employee benefit plans (called ERISA), courts must give significant deference to plan administrators' decisions unless they are clearly unreasonable or made in bad faith. **What This Means for Workers** This case highlights how difficult it can be for employees to challenge disability benefit decisions. When employers or their insurance companies deny or terminate disability benefits, workers face an uphill battle in court. The legal standard heavily favors plan administrators, meaning workers must prove not just that they disagree with the decision, but that it was completely unreasonable. Employees should carefully document their medical conditions and follow all plan procedures when applying for or appealing disability benefits, as these cases are hard to win in court.