Michael Alves v. The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Comprehensive Welfare Benefits Plan

I. INTRODUCTION

Michael Alves (“Plaintiff”) filed a complaint against Hewlett Packard Enterprise Comprehensive Welfare Benefits Plan (“Plan’’) and the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (“HP”) (collectively, “Defendants”). The suit arose out of the Plan’s denial of coverage for short-term and long-term disability benefits to Plaintiff. Plaintiff then sued to enforce his rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). The Court held a bench trial on these issues and found that Sedgwick, the entity HP authorized to determine disability-benefits eligibility, had not abused its discretion in its denial of short-term and long- term disability benefits to Plaintiff. Plaintiff appealed the Court’s decision to the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit upheld the denial of the short-term disability (“STD”) benefits but remanded on the long-term disability (“LTD”) benefits claims, instructing Sedgwick to redo its LTD evaluation. Following the Ninth Circuit’s directive, Sedgwick reviewed Plaintiff's eligibility for LTD benefits. After examining the evidence, Sedgwick again denied Plaintiff's claim. After that denial Plaintiff, once again, sought the…