Opinion ID: 1681928
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: petitioners' claims against lina

Text: We now address petitioners' claims against LINA. On appeal to this court, petitioners maintain that judgment should be rendered against LINA on the basis of the jury's finding that Gorman was in travel and sojourn for Tenneco at the time of his death. This finding established that LINA breached the contract of insurance that it had entered into with Gorman. Petitioners also seek statutory penalties, attorney's fees, prejudgment interest, damages for mental anguish and prejudgment interest thereon, and exemplary damages. LINA did not raise ERISA preemption with regard to any of these causes of action by an affirmative written pleading in the trial court. During pretrial hearings on the first day of trial, LINA filed a motion to strike Gormans' pleadings of causes of action relating to the Summary Plan Description alleging that ERISA preempted them. Because of the differing effects of choice of law preemption and choice of forum preemption we will address the claims separately.