Consol Energy Defeats Most Claims Over ‘Lifetime’ Benefits

Consol Energy Inc.‘s representations that workers would get lifetime retirement benefits didn’t override the terms of its written retiree benefits plan, which allow it to terminate the benefits at any time, a West Virginia federal court said.

A group of Consol retirees alleged the company violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by terminating lifetime health coverage for about 4,000 retirees who weren’t represented by a union. According to the complaint, Consol ended their benefits despite telling them both orally and in written presentations that they were covered by a “single, unified retiree welfare benefits plan” giving them lifetime ...