Ex-NFL Player Wins $1.8 Million in Fees After Disability Loss

A former NFL running back who saw his post-trial victory in a disability benefits dispute undone on appeal is nevertheless entitled to more than $1.8 million in attorneys’ fees, a federal judge ruled.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed Michael Cloud’s victory on “narrow grounds” and never disturbed the hundreds of factual findings made after trial, Judge Karen Gren Scholer of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas said Monday. This qualifies as “some degree of success on the merits,” which makes Cloud eligible for attorneys’ fees under the Employee Retirement Income Security ...