Michael Mitchell stopped working after developing chronic fatigue syndrome, restless legs syndrome, hemochromatosis, and major depressive disorder. Treating physicians documented profound fatigue, sleep disruption, cognitive impairment, and reduced stamina that prevented sustained work activity.
MetLife denied long-term disability benefits by relying on non-examining file reviewers who discounted treating-provider assessments and emphasized the lack of objective laboratory findings to quantify fatigue and sleep disturbance. The insurer minimized the cumulative effect of multiple conditions.
After a bench-style adjudication on the administrative record, the court found MetLife’s denial unsupported by the evidence, credited the treating physicians’ assessments, and awarded long-term disability benefits. The ruling reinforced that disability determinations must focus on functional impact, not the absence of easily measurable objective markers.
