Aug 132014
In a decision handed down last week, the Sixth Circuit deemed invalid an otherwise solid “statute of limitations” defense on the ground that the insurer had failed to mention the limitations period in the letter through which the subject adverse benefit determination was communicated to the claimant. Relying on a series of cases, including Novick v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 764 F. Supp. 2d 653 (S.D.N.Y. 2011), the court held that the omission violated the applicable regulation (i.e., 29 C.F.R. 2560.503-1(g)(1)(iv)), thus allowing the claimant’s otherwise late claim to proceed to the merits.
Moyer v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 762 F.3d 503 (6th Cir. 2014)