Ioane John Opeta sought a disability pension based on total and permanent disability after medical conditions forced him to stop working. The pension plan denied benefits, asserting that Opeta did not meet the plan’s disability definition.
Kantor & Kantor challenged how the plan interpreted and applied its disability standard, including how medical evidence must be evaluated under ERISA pension provisions.
The Ninth Circuit clarified the governing disability standard and rejected aspects of the plan’s interpretation, constraining how pension plans assess disability eligibility even where benefits are ultimately denied on the record presented.
