Circuit Court Decisions on ERISA Disability Claims

This document is a report detailing recent circuit court decisions regarding long-term disability (LTD) claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It outlines how various circuit courts have upheld insurers' discretion to deny LTD benefits, emphasizing that insurers can reasonably credit conflicting medical opinions. The report discusses several cases across different circuits, including the Third, Seventh, Fourth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, highlighting specific rulings where courts affirmed insurers' decisions based on the evidence presented. Notably, the report mentions instances where courts found that participants failed to meet the definition of disability or did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims. The document concludes by noting the general trend of courts maintaining a deferential approach to insurers' decisions, provided they are reasonable and based on reliable evidence, while also warning against decisions that may disregard unfavorable facts.