Thomason v. Metropolitan Life Insurance

165 F. Supp. 3d 512, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28224, 2016 WL 791044
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 25, 2016
DocketNo. 3:14-CV-0086-P
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 165 F. Supp. 3d 512 (Thomason v. Metropolitan Life Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomason v. Metropolitan Life Insurance, 165 F. Supp. 3d 512, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28224, 2016 WL 791044 (N.D. Tex. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

JORGE A. SOLIS, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Now before the Court is Plaintiff Joel Thomason’s (“Thomason”) Motion for Summary Judgment, filed on March 5, 2015. Doc. 58. Defendants Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”) and Verizon Employee Benefits Committee (“VEBC”) filed a response on April 10, 2015. Doc. 81. Thomason filed a reply on April 24, 2015. Doc.87.

Also before the Court is Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, filed on April 2, 2015. Doc. 74. Thomason filed a response on April 7, 2015. Doc. 77. Defendants filed a reply on April 21, 2015. Doc. 84.

The Court also reviews Thomason’s Objections to Defendants’ Summary Judgment Evidence, filed April 8, 2015. Doc. [515]*51580. Defendants filed a response on April 22, 2015. Doc. 85. Thomason filed a reply on April 30, 2015. Doc. 92.

Also before the Court is Thomason’s Objections to Defendants’ Additional Summary Judgment Evidence, filed on April 24, 2015. Doc. 88. Defendants filed a response on May 8, 2015. Doc. 93. Tho-mason filed a reply on May 14, 2015. Doc. 96.

After reviewing the parties’ briefing, the evidence, and the applicable law, the Court partially GRANTS Thomason’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 58) and DENIES Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (Doc. 74). The Court also finds Thomason’s objections MOOT. Docs. 80, 88.

I. Background

This case involves a dispute as to whether an offset was properly taken against the monthly long-term disability (“LTD”) benefit payments to Thomason under YEBC’s Plan for Group Insurance (the “Plan”). The Plan is an employee welfare benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001 — 1461 (“ERISA”). Doe. 76 at 54. Here, Met-Life, as the LTD claim administrator, is vested with discretionary authority to adjudicate LTD claims and interpret the terms of the Plan. Id. at 48-49. The Plan is thoroughly explained through the Summary Plan Description (“SPD”). The SPD provides that certain benefits are offset from the LTD benefit amount, including “[pjension benefits from a Verizon pension plan, if you elect to receive them.” Doc. 76 at 39. Notably, however, the SPD is incorporated into the Plan by reference. Doc. 75 at 6 (citing Doc. 76 at 11).

Both parties now move for summary judgment.

II. Motion for Summary Judgment

Under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a), courts “grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”1 “[T]he substantive law will identify which facts are material.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A genuine dispute of material fact exists “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Id. The party seeking summary judgment “always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). To determine whether summary judgment is proper, the courts view the record and all reasonable inferences drawn from the record in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

Once the moving party has carried its initial burden, the party opposing the motion must come forward with competent summary judgment evidence showing the existence of a genuine fact dispute. Id. at 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348. The party defending against a summary judgment motion cannot defeat the motion without providing specific facts demonstrating a genuine dispute of material fact. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 247-8, 106 S.Ct. 2505; accord Fed. [516]*516R.Civ.P. 56(c). Mere assertions of a factual dispute unsupported by probative evidence will not prevent summary judgment. See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505; accord Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). In other words, “conclusory statements, speculation, and unsubstantiated assertions cannot defeat a motion for summary judgment.” RSR Corp. v. Int’l Ins. Co., 612 F.3d 851, 857 (5th Cir.2010). Courts have no duty, furthermore, to search the record for a material disputed fact. See id.; Hernandez v. Yellow Transp., Inc., 670 F.3d 644, 651 (5th Cir.2012).

III. ERISA Summary Plan Interpretation

This case requires the Court to interpret an ERISA summary plan description. Thomason and MetLife disagree over the relevant standards of interpretation. The Plan, which incorporates the SPD, states that certain benefits are offset from the LTD benefit amount, including “[pjension benefits from a Verizon pension plan, if you elect to receive them.” Doc. 76 at 39 (emphasis added).

Thomason contends that he did not “receive” the pension benefits because he rolled his lumpsum pension payment into a personal individual retirement account (“IRA”). Doc. 78 at 3. Defendants disagree, contending that the money was received when MetLife delivered the lump-sum payment. Doc. 75 at 8-10. In other words, the bulk of this dispute is over the definition of the word “receive” and what standard of interpretation the Court should use to interpret it.

How to interpret an ERISA plan by itself is not in dispute. Benefit determinations under an ERISA plan are governed in the first instance by the plan language. Gosselink v. AT & T, Inc., 272 F.3d 722, 726 (5th Cir.2001). Courts in the Fifth Circuit use a two-step review process in determining whether a benefit decision involving the interpretation of a plan is an abuse of discretion. Wildbur v. ARCO Chem. Co., 974 F.2d 631, 637-38 (5th Cir. 1992). Under the two-step process, a court must first determine the legally correct interpretation of the applicable plan provisions. Id. at 638. If the administrator’s interpretation of the plan is legally correct, the inquiry ends because no abuse of discretion could have occurred. See Ellis v. Liberty Life Assurance Co. of Boston, 394 F.3d 262, 270 (5th Cir.2004).

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Bluebook (online)
165 F. Supp. 3d 512, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28224, 2016 WL 791044, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomason-v-metropolitan-life-insurance-txnd-2016.