Opinion ID: 3030564
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Long Term Disability Plan and the Claim

Text: Ford was employed by MCI and was a member of the MCI Communications Long Term Disability Plan (Plan). The Plan was established and is maintained by MCI and its successor corporate entity, Worldcom, Inc., as an employee welfare benefit plan. MCI is listed as the “Plan Administrator/Plan Sponsor” in the materials provided to the Plan members. ITT Hartford Insurance/Hartford Life (Hartford) is the claims administrator for the plan. The Plan does not list Hartford as a plan administrator. Ford has coccidioidomycosis and fibromyalgia, conditions which she asserts originated during the course and scope of her work for MCI. Contending that Hartford wrongfully denied long-term disability (LTD) benefits coverage, Ford brought this action against Hartford1 asserting claims under various provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. Specifically, Ford sought relief under: 1) 29 U.S.C. §§ 1132(a)(1)(B) and 1132(a)(2) for wrongful denial of LTD benefits; 2) 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(3) for general equitable relief; and 3) 29 U.S.C. §§ 1025(c) and 1132(a)(4) for wrongful failure to notify Ford of accrued vested benefits.2 1 Ford also sued MCI, but those claims were stayed due to pending bankruptcy proceedings. 2 In her Opening Brief, Ford only addressed the first two claims. Therefore, the third claim is waived. See Independent Towers of Washington v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925, 929 (9th Cir. 2003) (“[W]e review only issues which are argued specifically and distinctly in a party’s opening brief.”) (citation omitted). 2240 FORD v. ITT HARTFORD INSURANCE B. The District Court’s Decision and Ford’s Appeal Hartford filed a motion for summary judgment on the ground that it is not a proper party in an action to recover ERISA benefits. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Hartford, holding that Hartford was not a proper party to the action, being neither the Plan nor the Plan Administrator. The Minute order containing the district court’s decision was entered into the court’s record on November 18, 2002. No other document was filed by the court reflecting the court’s summary judgment. The district court record does not reflect that the minute order was served on either party. Ford’s attorney received the minute order on January 2, 2003, when the district court faxed it at the request of a law clerk working for Ford’s counsel. As a result, Ford was not aware that her action had been dismissed until after the expiration of the 30-day period to file a timely appeal pursuant to Rule 4(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Ford argues that this Court should excuse her admittedly untimely notice of appeal, because the district court did not serve the decision upon the parties and she filed her appeal within thirty days3 of learning of the district court’s grant of summary judgment. Ford also appeals the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Hartford. Specifically, Ford maintains that the Court erred in determining that Hartford was not a proper party to this action, because Hartford “functioned as” the Plan Administrator. Additionally, Ford asserts that Hartford was liable as a fiduciary. 3 Thirty days from January 2, 2003, the date the district court faxed the district court’s order to Ford’s attorney, was February 1, 2003, a Saturday. February 3, the date Ford filed the notice of appeal, was a Monday. FORD v. ITT HARTFORD INSURANCE 2241