Jill Steigleman v. Symetra Life Insurance Company

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MAR 29 2022

MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JILL M. STEIGLEMAN, No. 21-15613

Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 3:19-cv-08060-ROS

v.

MEMORANDUM*

SYMETRA LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY, an Iowa corporation,

Defendant-Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Arizona Roslyn O. Silver, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted March 11, 2022 Phoenix, Arizona

Before: HAWKINS, PAEZ, and WATFORD, Circuit Judges.

Jill Steigleman appeals from the district court’s order granting summary

judgment to Symetra Life Insurance Company on her claim for bad faith under

Arizona law. We reverse and remand.

1. The district court erred in holding that Steigleman’s long-term disability

policy was part of an “employee welfare benefit plan” under the Employee

* This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. Page 2 of

Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). See 29 U.S.C. § 1002(1). Steigleman’s

employees…