Spears v. Liberty Life Assurance Co.

885 F. Supp. 2d 546, 2012 WL 3202930, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109001
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedAugust 3, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. 3:11cv1807(VLB)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 885 F. Supp. 2d 546 (Spears v. Liberty Life Assurance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spears v. Liberty Life Assurance Co., 885 F. Supp. 2d 546, 2012 WL 3202930, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109001 (D. Conn. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS [DKT. # IS]

VANESSA L. BRYANT, District Judge.

Plaintiff, Haley Spears, (“Spears”) brings this action under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) contesting the denial of disability benefits under her employer’s long term disability benefits plan. Defendants Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston (“Liberty”), United Technologies Corporation (“UTC”), and The Group Life Insurance And Disability Plan of United Technologies Corporation a/k/a The UTC Choice Integrated Disability Benefit Program (the “Plan” or the “UTC Plan”) (collectively referred to as the “Defendants”) have moved pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) to dismiss Count Two of Plaintiffs Complaint asserted under Section 502(a)(3) as duplicative of her Count One claims under Section 502(a)(1)(B). The Defendants also move to dismiss the Defendants UTC and the Plan as Defendants in the action because they do not control administration of the long term provisions of the Plan. They also seek an order striking Plaintiffs claim for extra-contractual damages, on the basis that such damages are not available under E.R.I.S.A. The Plaintiff objects to the Motion to Dismiss asserting that simultaneous claims may be maintained under Section 502(a)(1)(B) and Section 502(a)(3) and asserting that she has a right to the extra-contractual equitable remedies, such as reformation, under Section 502(a)(3) because one or more of the Defendants misled her, causing her harm which may not be remedied by her Section 502(a)(1)(B) claim. The Plaintiff counters the Defendant’s motion to dismiss Defendants UTC and the Plan, asserting that they did control the administration of the short term provisions of the Plan. The Plaintiff also seeks injunctive relief, enjoining the conduct complained of in the Complaint. For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART Defendants’ motion to dismiss.

Factual Allegations

The following facts are taken from Plaintiffs complaint. The Plaintiff, Haley Spears, is a former employee of UTC. [Dkt. # 1, Complaint ¶ 4], She was employed as an Executive Administrative Assistant immediately prior to being disabled and was allegedly covered by UTC’s employee benefits plan. Id. The UTC Plan included both short-term and long-term disability (“STD” and “LTD” respectively) sections. Id. at ¶ 7. The LTD plan is fully insured by Liberty. Id. At ¶5. Plaintiff alleges that Liberty is the administrator of the Plan.

UTC self-insures the STD plan but Liberty “is the Plan Administrator for STD benefits” and makes claim determinations under that plan. Id. at ¶ 8. The LTD policy,1 however, is both administered and insured by Liberty. Id. at ¶ 5. Premiums [549]*549are paid to Liberty, Liberty insures the policy, Liberty pays covered claims, Liberty makes LTD claim determinations, and Liberty is the LTD plan administrator. Id.

In her capacity as an Executive Administrative Assistant at UTC, Plaintiff alleges that the material duties of her job were as follows:

[S]end and edit letters, order supplies for two departments, do internet research, organize executive desks and papers, keep a reference guide book updated, change computer settings and fix office equipment on a basic level. She was responsible for communication with the maintenance department. She communicated verbally and by e-mail. Accuracy was essential. She processed expense reports by entering data into the computer, filed documents, and made travel arrangements. She processed invoices and followed through to ensure that they were paid. She generated briefing material for senior level meetings. She completed internal and external training to better understand United Technologies Corporation business practices and company objectives.

Id. ¶ 10. Plaintiff also alleges that her position was a desk job, although it did require her to be on her feet, walking around the department, and occasionally lifting packages, printer paper, files, or supplies. Id. at ¶ 11. Reportedly, “[t]he job was fast paced. She needed to be alert. There was no room for error.” Id.

Plaintiff allegedly began feeling sick around 2008 and began taking sick days. [Dkt. # 1, Complaint ¶ 12]. Her symptoms allegedly included fevers, night sweats, respiratory problems, and coughing. Id. Her boss told her to see a doctor. Id. She was treated first for “asthma symptoms” and then later for migraines at the St. Francis Hospital emergency room. Id.

Her symptoms “became debilitating in the summer of 2008.” Id. At that point, Ms. Spears alleges that she “could not do her job.” Id. at ¶ 13. She reports migraines, blurry vision, an inability to focus or think straight, memory problems, difficulties understanding what her boss wanted, and a general daze. Id. Plaintiff allegedly stopped working and applied for STD benefits in September 2008. Id. Those benefits were granted on September 27, 2008. Id.

Plaintiff acknowledges that the definition of disabled is different under the STD than it is under the LTD. She alleges that the policy defined being disabled, for purposes of STD coverage, as when “[y]ou are unable to perform the material and substantial duties of your current or a similar job for more than 5 consecutive scheduled workdays” and a physician provides medical evidence supporting his assessment of your condition. Id. On the other hand, the policy defined disabled under the LTD if you are unable to perform your “own occupation” for the first 24 months, after which you are only disabled for purposes of the plan if you are unable to perform the duties of “Any Occupation” as defined by the plan. Id. at ¶ 27-28.

Plaintiff was allegedly told by “a representative of the defendants” that if she tried to return to work part time but could not sustain that work she could still collect STD benefits. Id. at ¶ 14. She returned to work part time in January 2009 for a “few months”, but claims she “could not perform her job during that time” despite being given simplified duties. Id.

Plaintiff has reportedly received an extremely large number of varying diagnoses from various doctors. [Dkt. # 1, Complaint ¶ 16], Ms. Spears allegedly tested positive for Borrelia burdorferi IgM antibodies on February 2, 2009. Spears’s STD benefits were approved through February [550]*5508, 2009. Id. at ¶ 15. On February 9, 2009, Plaintiffs treating physician Dr. Barbara Kage placed restrictions on the work she should perform. Id. She continued working part time and with restrictions through March 23, 2009 when she stopped entirely due to her health and has not returned to work. Id.

Plaintiff claims that several doctors— Dr.’s Bernard Raxlen, Sam Donta, Barbara Kage, and Dario Zagar — all noted symptoms associated with her Borreliosis (Lyme disease) from June to October 2009 and stated that she “was unable to work because of her symptoms.” Id. at ¶¶ 18-22.

Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants first denied her LTD benefits on January 30, 2009.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
885 F. Supp. 2d 546, 2012 WL 3202930, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109001, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spears-v-liberty-life-assurance-co-ctd-2012.