Coleman-Fire v. Standard Insurance Company
Case Details
- Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
- 791 Labor: E.R.I.S.A.
- Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
- Unknown
- Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
- summary judgment
- State
- Oregon
- Circuit
- Ninth Circuit
Related Laws
No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Claim Types
Outcome
Plaintiff prevailed on his ERISA claim for reinstatement of long-term disability benefits via summary judgment, and the court awarded reasonable attorney's fees and costs, approving an hourly rate of $475 for the plaintiff's counsel and all hours billed.
What This Ruling Means
Coleman-Fire v. Standard Insurance Company Summary
What Happened
Coleman-Fire had long-term disability benefits through Standard Insurance Company. The company stopped paying these benefits, and Coleman-Fire believed this decision violated their employment contract and federal benefits law. Coleman-Fire took the company to court to get the benefits reinstated.
What the Court Decided
The court agreed with Coleman-Fire. A judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff without needing a full trial, finding that Standard Insurance Company wrongfully denied the disability benefits. The court ordered the benefits reinstated and required the company to pay Coleman-Fire's legal fees and court costs. The attorney's hourly rate was set at $475, and the company had to cover all approved hours worked on the case.
Why This Matters for Workers
This case shows that companies cannot simply cut off disability benefits without valid reasons. When workers believe their benefits were wrongfully denied, they can take legal action and potentially recover lost payments. Additionally, winning workers can have employers pay their attorney fees, making it more affordable to fight for their rights in court.
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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