Second Circuit Denies Ex-Duane Reade Worker’s Disability Appeal

Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company did not unfairly deny disability benefits to a former human resources manager for Duane Reade, a federal appeals court ruled.

Hartford’s decision did not rise to the level of “arbitrary and capricious” because medical records demonstrated continued improvements in her health, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said Monday in a non-precedential opinion.

Kerri Flowers filed for disability in 2008, citing worsening problems from seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. She was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia and other conditions. Hartford granted the application but terminated Flowers’ ...