NEW ORLEANS – A woman alleges her claim for life insurance benefits was denied because an alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
Susan D. Lorio filed a complaint on Jan. 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against International Paper Co., International Paper Co. Employee Welfare Benefit Plan and Hewitt Associates LLC alleging that they failed to comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that due to her husband's death on May 16, 2015, she made an application for life insurance benefits totaling $347,000. The suit states her claim was denied on Nov. 19, 2015. The plaintiff holds International Paper Co., International Paper Co. Employee Welfare Benefit Plan and Hewitt Associates LLC responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to advise plaintiff's spouse, decedent Joseph Lorio, of his right to convert to an individual policy before his life insurance group coverage policy would terminate. The suit states he was repeatedly advised that he was fully covered.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against each defendant for all equitable relief, attorneys' fees, costs of suit and for all all other relief as the facts and law may provide. She is represented by James F. Willeford and Reagan L. Toledano of Willeford & Toledano in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:17-cv-00587-CJB-KWR