Burke v. Univar USA, Inc.

354 F. Supp. 2d 1047, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4756, 2005 WL 281252
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedJanuary 28, 2005
Docket4:03 CV 258SNL
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 354 F. Supp. 2d 1047 (Burke v. Univar USA, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burke v. Univar USA, Inc., 354 F. Supp. 2d 1047, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4756, 2005 WL 281252 (E.D. Mo. 2005).

Opinion

354 F.Supp.2d 1047 (2005)

Linda BURKE, Plaintiff,
v.
UNIVAR USA, INC., Defendant.

No. 4:03 CV 258SNL.

United States District Court, E.D. Missouri, Eastern Division.

January 28, 2005.

*1048 Daniel J. Bruntrager, Bruntrager and Billings, Eli Karsh, Law Office of Eli Karsh, St. Louis, MO, for Plaintiff.

Jennifer D. Baetje, Richard J. Pautler, Thompson Coburn, St. Louis, MO, for Defendant.

MEMORANDUM

LIMBAUGH, Senior District Judge.

Plaintiff has filed this ERISA action under 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B) challenging the defendant's denial of supplemental life insurance proceeds for her deceased spouse. This matter is before the Court on the defendant's motion for summary judgment (# 12), filed September 26, 2003. In lieu of a timely response to the subject motion, plaintiff sought leave for additional discovery and extension of time to respond. See, Plaintiffs motion to compel discovery responses (# 13), filed October 1, 2003 and motion for continuance pursuant to Rule 56(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (# 17), filed October 27, 2003. Plaintiff sought discovery of Plan documents she contended she never received prior to purchasing additional coverage for her late husband under the subject plan. She wanted to supplement the administrative record in order for the Court to make a "de novo" review of the Plan Administrator's decision to deny benefits. After allowing the parties to brief the issue of additional discovery to supplement the administrative record, the Court granted the plaintiffs motion to compel by directing the defendant to tender any and all Overview documents given to plaintiff at the time she elected supplemental coverage for her late husband. Furthermore, the Court *1049 granted the parties additional time to supplement their pleadings in connection with the pending summary judgment motion. See, Court Order # 28, filed June 30, 2004. As of today's date, all responsive pleadings have been filed and the instant summary judgment motion is ripe for disposition.

Courts have repeatedly recognized that summary judgment is a harsh remedy that should be granted only when the moving party has established his right to judgment with such clarity as not to give rise to controversy. New England Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Null, 554 F.2d 896, 901 (8th Cir.1977). Summary judgment motions, however, "can be a tool of great utility in removing factually insubstantial cases from crowded dockets, freeing courts' trial time for those that really do raise genuine issues of material fact." Mt. Pleasant v. Associated Elec. Coop. Inc., 838 F.2d 268, 273 (8th Cir.1988).

Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), a district court may grant a motion for summary judgment if all of the information before the court demonstrates that "there is no genuine issue as to material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 368 U.S. 464, 467, 82 S.Ct. 486, 7 L.Ed.2d 458 (1962). The burden is on the moving party. Mt. Pleasant, 838 F.2d at 273. After the moving party discharges this burden, the nonmoving party must do more than show that there is some doubt as to the facts. Matsushita Elec. Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Instead, the nonmoving party bears the burden of setting forth specific facts showing that there is sufficient evidence in its favor to allow a jury to return a verdict for it. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

In passing on a motion for summary judgment, the court must review the facts in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion and give that party the benefit of any inferences that logically can be drawn from those facts. Butler v. Buechler, 706 F.2d 844, 846 (8th Cir.1983). The court is required to resolve all conflicts of evidence in favor of the nonmoving party. Robert Johnson Grain Co. v. Chem. Interchange Co., 541 F.2d 207, 210 (8th Cir.1976). Thus, "[t]he plain language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial." Paulson v. The Paul Revere Life Ins. Co., 323 F.Supp.2d. 919, 930 (S.D.Iowa 2004) citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548. The Court will now examine the factual record before it.

The facts in this case are largely undisputed. Plaintiff Linda Burke ("Burke") worked for over twenty years at Ellis & Everard, which was ultimately purchased by Defendant in 2001. (Compl.ś 6.) After the acquisition, Defendant offered a new health plan to former Ellis & Everard employees, called the Group Benefit Plan of Univar USA Inc. ("Plan") (Def. Statement of Uncontroverted Facts ś 3, Def. Ex. A.). Defendant provided a "Benefits Program Overview" and a packet of Benefits Program Questions and Answers ("Overview") to its employees to explain their new benefits. (Id. ś 9, Pl.Ex. 1-3.) One section on "Survivor Protection Options" described "Supplemental Life Insurance" and stated:

"You may buy coverage for your spouse equal to 50% of your life insurance amount. If you elect coverage now, your spouse will not be required to provide proof of good health for amounts *1050 under $100,000. If you decline coverage for your spouse now, then decide to elect spouse coverage during a future open enrollment (or elect $100,000 to $150,000 any time), your spouse will need to provide evidence of good health."

(Id. 10; Pl.Ex. 1 at 8.)

On April 30, 2001, Plaintiff purchased $90,000.00 of supplemental life insurance for her husband through Defendant's benefit plan. (Compl.ś 12.) At this time, Plaintiffs husband was suffering from brain cancer. (Compl.ś 8.) Plaintiffs husband passed away a few months later on September 17, 2001, after being hospitalized since April 17 of the same year. (Id. ś 13.) Plaintiff made a timely demand for the supplemental insurance benefits of $90,000.00, but the claims administrator denied benefits pursuant to the following language in the Plan:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Parkway Neuroscience v. Katz, Abosch, etc., PA
Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2022
Galm v. Eaton Corp.
360 F. Supp. 2d 978 (N.D. Iowa, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
354 F. Supp. 2d 1047, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4756, 2005 WL 281252, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burke-v-univar-usa-inc-moed-2005.