CHARLESTON — A Jackson County resident is suing Life Insurance Co. of North America and the trustee of the Group Insurance Trust for the Employees in the Services Industry, citing alleged bad faith and breach of contract in connection with denial of the plaintiff's insurance benefits.
Gloria Patterson filed a complaint May 2 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, alleging that the defendants breached their duties of good faith and fair dealing.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff allegedly suffered substantial monetary losses from insurance benefits because the defendants wrongfully denied her waiver of premium/life insurance benefits.
In their decision, Patterson claims the defendants used flawed and biased reasoning arising from conflicting duties as both payor and administrator.
The plaintiff said the insurance company and the trustee allegedly failed to make her disability benefit payments and failed to provide a full and fair review of her claim.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks a judgment against defendants for declaratory relief, reinstatement of insurance benefits, interest, attorney's fees, punitive damages and other relief as the court deems just. She is represented by Gregory G. Paul of Morgan & Paul PLLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number 18-CH-0847