Finney v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

In Finney v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the plaintiff Finney filed a lawsuit against MetLife in the United States, with the case dated September 10, 2024. The dispute centered on MetLife's termination of Finney's long-term disability benefits, which were governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Finney claimed that MetLife wrongfully denied continued benefits despite medical evidence supporting an inability to work. MetLife contended that Finney no longer met the policy's definition of disability. The case examined whether the insurer's decision was arbitrary and capricious under ERISA standards, scrutinizing the administrative record, medical evaluations, and the insurer's conflict of interest as both payer and decision-maker.

The central dispute was whether Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's termination of long-term disability benefits was arbitrary and capricious under ERISA, given the medical evidence and the inherent conflict of interest in MetLife's dual role as claims administrator and payor.