What is ERISA?

ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1974 and applies to most insurance obtained as an employee benefit from one’s employer.

As interpreted by the United States Supreme Court, ERISA gives insurance companies enormous advantages that induce them to deny claims unfairly. In large part, ERISA gives insurance companies almost complete immunity against lawsuits no matter how outrageously they act or how malicious the denial of benefits.

Where does this leave disabled employees? They pay for insurance coverage, but if they need to make a claim, they are unlikely to receive benefits. Legitimate disability claims are routinely denied, leaving disabled employees unable to work, without an income and without the protection they believed their insurance would provide.

Despite the challenges it poses for employees seeking to protect their right to insurance coverage from their employers, ERISA is also a complex body of legislation that provides opportunities for the skillful lawyer. To learn more about how ERISA law and ERISA regulations apply to your long-term disability claim, please contact an attorney at Nelson Langer Engle, PLLC as soon as possible.