Chevron ERISA LTD Plan Denied Deference—What It Means for You
Whatever brought you here, I hope we can make a difference.
At Dorian Law, we believe that disability claimants deserve a full and fair review—not a rubber-stamp denial. And this week, we helped make that happen in federal court.
In a case originally filed by Unruh Law and later briefed and argued by Brent Dorian Brehm of Dorian Law, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that Chevron’s Long-Term Disability Plan is not entitled to abuse of discretion review.
Here’s why that matters:
Chevron failed to properly delegate authority to its claims administrator, ReedGroup, as required by its own Plan terms and ERISA regulations.
As a result, the court rejected Chevron’s argument for deference and held that de novo review applies—meaning the court will make its own decision about benefits, without presuming Chevron was right.
This ruling could affect thousands of Chevron employees whose disability claims are reviewed under similar circumstances.
This wasn’t an obvious issue. It required precise ERISA analysis, deep familiarity with plan structures, and careful briefing to convince the court to override standard assumptions.
The case involved major players—including opposing counsel from Jones Day—and centered on one of the largest employers in the country. Yet with the right legal strategy, we found a path forward.
If your LTD claim has been denied and you’re told the insurer gets the “benefit of the doubt,” it’s worth asking: Do they really?
Contact us to find out. At Dorian Law, we specialize in overturning disability and life insurance denials—especially the ones that seem unbeatable.
If you want to read the decision for yourself, you can find it by clicking here.