May 25th, 2010
Workers suing over disability and other benefits under the federal law known as ERISA may win attorney fees and costs if they achieve “some degree of success on the merits,” a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday. In Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co. (pdf), the justices rejected a tougher standard imposed by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (pdf) on fee claimants under the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act. The lower appellate court had ruled that a claimant must be a “prevailing party” before seeking a fee award. MORE
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