Fitch v. Unum Life Insurance Co. of America

913 F. Supp. 2d 1253, 54 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2025, 2012 WL 6610748, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179328
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedDecember 19, 2012
DocketCase No. 4:11-CV-4246-VEH
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 913 F. Supp. 2d 1253 (Fitch v. Unum Life Insurance Co. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fitch v. Unum Life Insurance Co. of America, 913 F. Supp. 2d 1253, 54 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2025, 2012 WL 6610748, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179328 (N.D. Ala. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

VIRGINIA EMERSON HOPKINS, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the court on the following motions: Plaintiffs Motion for Entry of Judgment (Doc. 15); Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 17); Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 41); Defendant’s Motion to Strike Plaintiffs Exhibits 1, 4, and 22 and Pages 45-47 of Her Response (Doc. 50) (referencing Doc. 44); Plaintiffs Motion for Judgment against Unum (Doc. 59); Defendant’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Doc. 61); Plaintiffs Motion to Compel the Production of Communications with Counsel (Doc. 64); and Defendant’s Motion to Strike certain exhibits submitted in support of Doc. 59 (Doc. 68).

However, the court only need decide two of these motions — Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 17) and Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 41) — to dispose of all the claims in this case. Therefore, this Memorandum Opinion addresses only these motions. This memorandum opinion will proceed in three steps. First, it will set forth the relevant facts and procedural history. Second, it will set forth the legal standards applicable to Plaintiffs claims. Finally, this opinion will explain why Plaintiffs claims fail under the relevant legal standard.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Facts

The facts of this case are relatively straightforward. Adesta, LLC maintains a group life insurance policy (the “Plan”) for its employees. It purchased the Plan from the Defendant, the Unum Life Insurance Company of America (“Unum”). (Doc. 17-2.) The Plan provides life insurance for covered employees and, therefore, is governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1461 (“ERISA”). See 29 U.S.C. § 1002(1).

Robert Fitch worked for Adesta, LLC for thirteen years. In 2008, Robert was diagnosed with cancer. He continued to work for Adesta until April 2009, when Adesta fired him. At the time, Robert was not expected to live long.

Before he left his job, Robert emailed Carol McLaughlin, an Adesta employee, and asked for the form needed to convert his group life insurance policy to an individual policy. (Doc. 15-3.) In his email, Robert asked McLaughlin to call him or to email him at his personal email address. (M)(emphasis supplied) On April 27, 2009, McLaughlin sent an email to Robert’s work address. The email said that McLaughlin had sent Robert a portability package, which concerns the continuation of an employee’s life insurance upon retirement, not termination. Unfortunately, by that time, Robert no longer had access to his work email. It is not seriously disputed that Robert never received McLaughlin’s April 27, 2009 email. And, Robert’s wife alleges that he never received the portability package from Adesta. For [1257]*1257present purposes, the court accepts this allegation as true.

When Adesta terminated Robert on April 24, 2009, it gave him a severance package worth eight weeks of his salary. The parties do not seriously dispute that Adesta withheld certain taxes from Robert’s severance package. The parties disagree whether Adesta also promised to, and in fact did, deduct Robert’s life insurance premiums.

Six weeks after Adesta fired him and before his severance package ran out, Robert died. Five days later, his widow, Plaintiff Catherine Fitch (“Fitch”), requested Robert’s life insurance from Unum. (Doc. 38-1 at 18.) After reviewing them file, Unum denied Fitch’s claim. Unum explained that, under the terms of the Plan, Robert’s coverage ended on April 24, 2009. The Plan allowed Robert thirty-one days in which to convert his group life policy to an individual policy. To do that, Robert had to submit a conversion application. Unum then said, “No application for conversion was received and the 31 day conversion period ended on May 25, 2009.” (Doc. 15^4 at 2.) Thus, Unum concluded that Robert had no coverage on the day he died, June 10, 2009.

Fitch appealed Unum’s decision without success. She then brought this action against both Adesta and Unum.

B. Procedural History

The procedural history of this case is complicated. In her first Amended Complaint, Fitch asserted a breach of fiduciary duty claim against Adesta and a claim for Robert’s life insurance benefits against Unum. (See Doc. 9.) In February 2012, Fitch moved for partial summary judgment regarding the standard of review for these claims. (Doc. 14.) Fitch contended that de novo review is appropriate rather than the arbitrary and capricious standard.

Shortly thereafter, Fitch also moved for summary judgment against Unum.1 (Doc. 15.) In its response to Fitch’s motion, Unum asserted a cross-motion for summary judgment. (Doc. 17.) Additionally, Unum later moved to strike some of the evidence Fitch submitted with her motion for summary judgment. The details of these other motions are not relevant here, but the flurry of motions caused the court to hold a hearing on May 17, 2012. After that hearing, the court decided that the arbitrary and capricious standard of review will apply to Fitch’s claims. (See Doc. 35.)

At the hearing, the court also granted Fitch’s request to amend her complaint, and she filed her Second Amended Complaint the next day. The Second Amended Complaint adds five additional counts against Unum: (1) Contract Reformation; (2) Equitable Estoppel; (3) Ambiguity; (4) Request for Conversion; and (5) Joint Fiduciary Liability. (Doc. 34.) On June 4, 2012, Unum moved to dismiss these counts under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (Doc. 41.) Fitch responded to Unum’s Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 44), and attached evidentiary submissions. After Unum replied (Doc. 49), it again moved to strike several of these submissions. (See Doc. 50.)

Then, in August 2012, Fitch moved for summary judgment against Adesta on her fiduciary duty claim. Shortly thereafter, Adesta and Fitch settled their dispute and the court dismissed Adesta from this action, pro tanto. (Doc. 57.)2

[1258]*1258But, the cantankerous dispute between Fitch and Unum continued. Fitch filed a new Motion for Judgment against Unum on August 29, 2012. (Doc. 59.) The next day, Unum moved for Judgment on the Pleadings.3 (Doc. 61.)

Thereafter, the Plaintiff moved to compel certain communications between Unum and its counsel (Doc. 64) and Unum, again, moved to strike several of Fitch’s evidentiary submissions. (Doc. 68, 76.)

C. Summary of Remaining Claims and their Procedural Posture

Fitch has six claims remaining in this case, all against Unum. The court summarizes each claim here. Count II asserts a claim for Robert’s life insurance benefits under the Plan. Count III asks the court to reform the Plan documents and enforce them as reformed. Count IV asserts that Unum is equitably estopped from denying benefits. Count V asserts that the Plan is ambiguous and must be construed against Unum.

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913 F. Supp. 2d 1253, 54 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2025, 2012 WL 6610748, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fitch-v-unum-life-insurance-co-of-america-alnd-2012.