MasterCard Faces ERISA Claims Over Denial of Life Insurance

A MasterCard International Inc. employee’s widower may proceed on claims that the company violated ERISA by breaching its fiduciary duties regarding her life insurance benefits, the Eighth Circuit said Wednesday.

Edward Delker plausibly alleged that his wife elected life insurance coverage in addition to coverage the company automatically paid for, despite MasterCard’s argument to the contrary, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said.

Also plausible was Delker’s argument that, if Julie Delker hadn’t elected the additional coverage, it was due to material misrepresentations made by MasterCard as to how to do so, the court said.

Julie worked ...