Case Name: Frederick DAHLMEIER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. FORTIS BENEFITS INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2006-06-29
Citations: 187 F. App'x 930
Docket Number: No. 05-15321
Parties: Frederick DAHLMEIER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. FORTIS BENEFITS INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee.
Judges: Before ANDERSON, BIRCH and DUBINA, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 187
Pages: 930–931

Head Matter:
Frederick DAHLMEIER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. FORTIS BENEFITS INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellee.
No. 05-15321
Non-Argument Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
June 29, 2006.
Duncan J. Farmer, Burger, Trailor, Farmer, P.A., West Palm Beach, FL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
Kristina B. Pett, Jeannine Cline Jacobson, Pett, Furman & Jacobson, PL, Boca Raton, FL, for Defendant-Appellee.
Before ANDERSON, BIRCH and DUBINA, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
In this appeal, appellant Frederick Dahlmeier ("Dahlmeier") argues that the district court erred in granting appellee Fortis Benefits Insurance Company's ("Fortis Benefits") motion for summary judgment on the basis of his failure to exhaust administrative remedies. We disagree and affirm.
We review the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Perrino v. S. Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 209 F.3d 1309, 1314-15 (11th Cir.2000).
Here, it is undisputed that Dahlmeier failed to exhaust the administrative remedy outlined in the Group Claim Denial Review Procedure. "Our law is well-settled that 'plaintiffs in ERISA actions must exhaust available remedies before suing in federal court.' " Id. at 1315 (quoting Counts v. Amer. Gen. Life & Accident Ins. Co., 111 F.3d 105, 108 (11th Cir.1997)). "However, a district court has the sound discretion to excuse the exhaustion requirement when resort to administrative remedies would be futile or the remedy inadequate, . or where a claimant is denied meaningful access to the administrative review scheme in place." Id. (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). "The decision of a district court to apply or not apply the exhaustion of administrative remedies requirement for ERISA claims is a highly discretionary decision which we review only for a clear abuse of discretion." Id. at 1315.
After carefidly reviewing the record, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in applying the exhaustion requirement to Dahlmeier's claim. Therefore, we affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment.
AFFIRMED.
. Even if we concluded that the district court misapplied the exhaustion requirement, we would still affirm the grant of summary judgment because Fortis Benefits' decision on Dahlmeier claim for benefits was reasonable and correct.