Opinion ID: 756481
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Summary Judgment in ERISA cases

Text: 39 Finally, Wilkins contests the district court's disposition of this case by its grant of the defendants' motion for summary judgment. Wilkins contends that it was improper for the district court to decide this case on summary judgment; he suggests that instead, the court should have resolved the case in a trial-like proceeding, giving the parties an opportunity to explain the medical evidence contained in the record. The parties ask us to clarify whether summary judgment is an appropriate means by which to dispose of a claim involving the denial of ERISA benefits. 40 The standards of review for determining ERISA denial-of-benefits claims are well-established. See Firestone, 489 U.S. at 115, 109 S.Ct. 948; see also Rowan, 119 F.3d at 435. In cases in which a plan administrator is given no discretionary authority by the plan, review of the plan administrator's decision by the district court--as well as the court of appeals--is de novo, with respect to both the plan administrator's interpretation of the plan and the plan administrator's factual findings. See Firestone, 489 U.S. at 115, 109 S.Ct. 948; Rowan, 119 F.3d at 435. 4 When conducting a de novo review, the district court must take a fresh look at the administrative record but may not consider new evidence or look beyond the record that was before the plan administrator. See Perry 900 F.2d at 966; see also Rowan, 119 F.3d at 437. 41 In this case, we agree that the district court properly reviewed de novo the medical evidence before the Plan Administrator. The district court reviewed Wilkins's claim pursuant to the defendants' motion for summary judgment and reviewed the claim de novo according to the appropriate standard. See Rowan, 119 F.3d at 435. The district court considered the administrative record and found an absence of objective evidence supporting [Wilkins's] claim of disability. Upon our de novo review, we reach the same conclusion. Wilkins presented no evidence, either to the Plan Administrator or the district court, supporting his claim that he was disabled within the meaning of the Plan. The district court afforded Wilkins a full and fair de novo review of his claim, as did this court. See Guilday v. United States Dep't of Justice, 385 F.Supp. 1096, 1099 (D.Del.1974) (What is critical is the kind of scrutiny the court applies to the administrative record, not the existence, in the abstract, of a right to a trial de novo.). 42 Because we agree that the district court correctly affirmed LINA's denial of benefits after reviewing Wilkins's claim according to the appropriate standard, I see no reason to address whether summary judgment is an appropriate way in which to dispose of ERISA cases generally, a question that cannot affect the rights of the litigants in this case. 5 See Preiser v. Newkirk, 422 U.S. 395, 401, 95 S.Ct. 2330, 45 L.Ed.2d 272 (1975) ([A federal court's] judgments must resolve a real and substantial controversy ... through a decree of a conclusive character, as distinguished from an opinion advising what the law would be upon a hypothetical state of facts.) (quotation omitted). Therefore, I cannot join my colleagues' attempt to devise a procedure which has no bearing on the resolution of this case and has neither been mandated by Congress nor recognized by any other court. See Hudson v. United States, 522 U.S. 93, ----, 118 S.Ct. 488, 499, 139 L.Ed.2d 450 (1997) (Stevens, J., concurring in the judgment and stating that a desire to reshape the law does not provide a legitimate basis for issuing ... an ... opinion that, at best, will have the precedential value of pure dictum); see also Mistretta v. United States, 488 U.S. 361, 385, 109 S.Ct. 647, 102 L.Ed.2d 714 (1989) (recognizing that federal courts properly refuse to resolve disputes which are not justiciable in order to avoid encroaching into areas reserved for the other Branches of government). 43 Although my colleagues insist that their suggested guidelines are simply a restatement and application of principles previously espoused by this court and by the Supreme Court, they neglect to identify the established procedure under which their approach fits. I agree that the suggested guidelines restate the well-established standard and scope of review applicable to ERISA denial-of-benefits claims. However, I disagree that the standard and scope of review set forth the procedure by which to dispose of claims such as this one. 6 Moreover, in light of my colleagues' statement that they concur in the district court's judgment, notwithstanding the label attached to the disposition of the action, I wonder what label they propose should attach to a disposition that in their view is appropriate. Although my colleagues are certain that neither Rule 52 nor Rule 56 applies, their suggested guidelines do not set forth the appropriate recognized procedural device applicable to these claims. Because my colleagues' unprecedented approach is unnecessary to the resolution of this case, I decline to join this portion of the opinion.