Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-01572/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-01572-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 28:1132 E.R.I.S.A.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT REYNARD,

Plaintiff,

v.

KELLY-MOORE PAINT HEALTH AND 

WELFARE PLAN, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-01572-VC 

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO 

DISMISS

Re: Dkt. No. 18, 23

The motion to dismiss is granted.

1. Reynard's claim for ERISA benefits must be dismissed for failure to exhaust his 

administrative remedies. Reynard had every opportunity to file an appeal challenging the second 

reason given by the plan for denying his claim, see, e.g., Gabriel v. Alaska Elec. Pension Fund, 

773 F.3d 945, 963-64 (9th Cir. 2014), and the plan informed him of that opportunity. It is possible 

that the plan's delay in adjudicating Reynard's claim could end up precluding the plan from 

invoking the three-year contractual limitation period for filing suit. See, e.g., Mahan v. Unum Life 

Ins. Co., 2015 WL 3901883, at *3 (N.D. Cal. June 24, 2015). But there is no reason Reynard 

could not have appealed the denial in the first instance.

2. Reynard's claim under the California Insurance Code is dismissed because, as Reynard 

concedes, this claim is preempted under Ninth Circuit law.

3. Reynard's claim for failure to produce plan documents is dismissed because, as Reynard 

concedes, it has not brought this claim against the proper party, namely, the plan administrator.

Dismissal of the second claim is with prejudice. Dismissal of the first and third claims are 

without prejudice to raising them at the appropriate time if they become ripe. The hearing 

scheduled for July 9, 2015 is vacated. 

Case 3:15-cv-01572-VC Document 35 Filed 07/06/15 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 7, 2015

______________________________________

 VINCE CHHABRIA

 United States District Judge

Case 3:15-cv-01572-VC Document 35 Filed 07/06/15 Page 2 of 2