No. 24-1080

Suzanne Gifford, as Special Administrator of the Estate of Michael Gifford v. Operating Engineers 139 Health Benefit Fund

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-04-16
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Tags: administrative-law civil-procedure discovery-limitations erisa fiduciary-duty judicial-discretion
Latest Conference: 2025-06-18
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether courts may effectively preclude ERISA plaintiffs from engaging in any discovery.

2. Whether plan administrators' fiduciary obligations to claimants require administers to do more than place all responsibility for finding evidence to support a claim on the claimants themselves.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether courts may effectively preclude ERISA plaintiffs from engaging in any discovery and whether plan administrators' fiduciary obligations require more than placing responsibility for claim evidence on claimants

Docket Entries

2025-06-23
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-03
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2025.
2025-05-30
Reply of Estate of Michael Gifford, by its Special Administrator, Suzanne Gifford submitted.
2025-05-30
2025-05-16
Brief of Operating Engineers Local 139 Health Benefit Fund in opposition submitted.
2025-05-16
Brief of respondent Operating Engineers Local 139 Health Benefit Fund in opposition filed.
2025-04-14
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 16, 2025)

Attorneys

Estate of Michael Gifford, by its Special Administrator, Suzanne Gifford
Eric J. MeierHusch Blackwell LLP, Petitioner
Operating Engineers Local 139 Health Benefit Fund
Danielle Elizabeth MarocchiReinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., Respondent