‘Reasonable’ Element Of ERISA Estoppel Claim Not Met, 5th Circuit Affirms

Mealey's (October 21, 2021, 9:51 AM EDT) -- NEW ORLEANS — An estoppel claim under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act fails because it did not create a genuine dispute of material fact that it was reasonable to rely on an employer’s representations and paycheck deductions rather than the unambiguous language of a group supplemental life insurance plan, a Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel ruled Oct. 19, upholding a Texas federal court’s grant of summary judgment in the employer’s favor....