Opinion ID: 779893
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Claims against Lucent

Text: 25 Bui's claims against Lucent are more numerous. Bui alleges breach of contract for failure to provide adequate medical evaluation benefits and for failure to provide the evacuation benefit promised by the ERISA plan. In addition, Bui alleges that Lucent committed various negligent acts that led to Duong's wrongful death, including: Lucent's retention of SOS as a service provider; Lucent's failure to advise Duong that the return of his passport could be expedited in an emergency; Lucent's advice, through Dr. Waugh, that Duong should heed SOS's recommendation and stay in Saudi Arabia; and Lucent's delay in responding to Duong's request for further advice and for evacuation. 26 Summary judgment was properly granted as to the contract claims and as to the negligent retention claim. However, summary judgment was inappropriate on the three remaining claims: for negligence based on Lucent's failure to reveal the expedited passport procedure, for negligent provision of medical advice, and for negligent delay. We will address each claim in turn. 27 ERISA preempts Bui's contract claims. These claims do not merely reference the ERISA plan, 32 they require its construction because the contract allegedly breached is the ERISA plan itself. Accordingly, ERISA preempts the contract claims. 33 28 ERISA also preempts the claim for negligent retention of SOS as a service provider. Like the selection of providers, the retention of providers is a necessary part of the administration of an ERISA plan. Thus, for the same reasons ERISA precludes suit against AT&T for its initial decision to select SOS, ERISA shields Lucent's decision to retain SOS from the reach of state standards. 34 29 We cannot affirm the grant of summary judgment on preemption grounds as to Bui's last three claims against Lucent. The claim against Lucent for failing to inform Duong that his passport could be returned quickly in the event of an emergency appears to have nothing to do with ERISA. The emergency return of an employee's passport is not a benefit under an ERISA plan and nothing in the record links Lucent's failure to inform Duong that his passport could be returned to ERISA benefits. Thus, ERISA does not preempt this claim. 30 Genuine issues of material fact exist regarding Bui's last two claims against Lucent for negligent medical advice and for delay in responding to Duong. Although ERISA preempts suits based on negligent administrative decisions, including negligent delays in such decisions, 35 it is unclear from the current record whether Lucent was acting as a direct service provider or an administrator when it engaged in the behavior on which Bui bases her claims. Bui has pointed to evidence in the record that raises substantial factual questions regarding Duong's relationship with Waugh, who was unquestionably Lucent's agent and employee. Bui filed an affidavit stating that Waugh gave Duong medical advice regarding whether to stay in Saudi Arabia and that Duong asked Waugh for further advice and evaluation. If Waugh and Duong had a doctor-patient relationship, then Bui may sue Lucent for any medical malpractice its agent committed. 36 Bui's claims may include negligent medical advice and negligent delay in responding to Duong's medical questions, if that delay was made in the course of medically evaluating or treating Duong, rather than in the course of administering the ERISA plan. 31 Lucent has countered Bui's evidence that Waugh gave Duong medical advice with nothing save blanket statements that the evidence is unconvincing and that Lucent was an administrator. We may not, on summary judgment, weigh evidence. 37 The fact that Lucent may have acted as an administrator at other times is irrelevant. What matters is the hat it was wearing during the time it committed the acts of which Bui complains. 38 Bui has shown that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding whether Lucent was wearing the hat of an administrator or the hat of a service provider when Waugh and Duong conferred and when Waugh did not respond to Duong's request for further medical advice and evaluation. Accordingly, summary judgment is inappropriate on Bui's claims against Lucent for negligent medical advice and for negligent delay.