Rick LaLonde v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

I. Introduction

Plaintiff Rick LaLonde brings this action pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., to challenge Defendant Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s (MetLife) denial of his continued long-term disability (LTD) benefits. A court trial on the administrative record was held on February 25, 2025. After consideration of the parties’ trial briefs, oral arguments, and the evidence in the Administrative Record,1 the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

1 The Court refers to pages from the Administrative Record as “AR ___.”

II. Findings of Fact2

A. The Plan LaLonde is a former employee of Providence Health & Services (Providence), which established an ERISA-governed plan that provides LTD benefits to eligible employees (the Plan). Dkt. 30-1 ¶ 2; Dkt. 31-1 ¶ 2. The group disability insurance policy that funds the Plan’s LTD benefits is issued by MetLife. Id. MetLife also acts as the fiduciary responsible for adjudicating claims for LTD benefits under the Plan. Id.; PLAN 0058-0061. At all relevant times, LaLonde was a participant in the Plan as a benefit of his employment with…