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Riemer Hess Secures Legal Victory on Behalf of Financial Engineer with a TBI
糖心直播 is proud to announce a significant legal victory in Rhodes v. First Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, No. 22 CIV. 5264 (AKH), 2023 WL 3099294 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 26, 2023). The Court鈥檚 decision sends a powerful message to long term disability insurance companies: they will be held accountable for failing to follow the regulations provided by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
The plaintiff, Mr. William Rhodes, a Financial Engineer for a major financial institution, filed a claim for disability benefits after suffering a traumatic brain injury (鈥淭BI鈥�). First Reliance initially approved Rhodes鈥檚 claim but later terminated his benefits and denied his appeal. After the appeal denial, Mr. Rhodes consulted with Riemer Hess to sue First Reliance on his behalf.
In the litigation, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein granted Rhodes鈥檚 motion for a de novo standard of review, holding that First Reliance failed to 鈥渟trictly adhere鈥� to ERISA鈥檚 claims procedure regulations. As a result, the Court would apply no deference to First Reliance鈥檚 previous decision, even though the plan granted discretion to First Reliance.
