EAST ST. LOUIS – A Madison County woman formerly employed as a casino card dealer alleges her disability benefits were wrongfully terminated.
Laurie Selph filed a complaint on Dec. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Co. for allegedly violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff applied for disability benefits after she ceased working in May 2015 because of problems with her spine. The suit states the defendant paid her benefits from November 2015 to January 2017, when it determined she no longer met the definition of disabled.
The plaintiff alleges Hartford Life and Accident Insurance's decision to terminate her benefits is contrary to the terms of the welfare benefit plan.
The plaintiff seeks an order for the defendant to continue paying benefits, award prejudgment interest, attorney's fees, and recover any and all other relief to which she may be entitled, as well as costs of suit.
She is represented by David Hicks of David M. Hicks PC in Maryville.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:17-cv-01341-MJR-RJD