The Firm handles all sorts of claims on behalf of individuals under ERISA § 502. Most employee benefit plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, more commonly known as ERISA. While ERISA does not mandate that your employer provide you with a pension, 401(k), long term disability, life insurance, or health insurance plan, ERISA demands employers that choose to provide such benefits comply with complex rules and regulations.

Bartolic Law handles ERISA § 502 claims in Chicago and the rest of Illinois against group long term disability insurance policies for disability benefits payable, and where appropriate, against the administrators of the plans who’s breach of fiduciary duty harmed the participant. Michael Bartolic has successfully obtained long term disability benefits for clients suffering from all kinds of conditions, including:

The Firm represents executives and other professionals in Employee Benefits Discrimination and Interference Claims arising under ERISA § 510. ERISA prohibits any adverse employment action against an employee for exercising any right under an employee benefit plan. It also protects employees from interference with their attainment of any right under a benefit plan, and retaliation for participating in proceedings related to ERISA.

Bartolic Law represents individuals facing claims by employee benefit plans for recoupment of overpayment of benefits. The Firm successfully resolved cases involving pension overpayments, long term disability overpayments, and health insurance overpayments. In approaching these matters, the fact of whether or not the overpayment occurred is often a subsidiary inquiry to how it occurred.

We handle ERISA § 502 claims against group health insurance policies and administrators for benefits payable under the plan and breaches of fiduciary duty. The firm has represented countless clients in getting health plans to cover the cost of necessary services and in forcing employers and other fiduciaries to pay the cost of services due to misrepresentations and other breaches of fiduciary duty.

Michael Bartolic is a life insurance lawyer who represents individuals with disputes over life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment benefits under ERISA § 502. In addition to claims arising under ERISA, the life insurance lawyers at Bartolic Law handle claims against insurers of individual policies, as well. The Firm has successfully resolved cases for both the life insurance benefits under the terms of the policy, and claims where benefits would have become payable except for a breach of fiduciary duty, usually a misrepresentation.

Retirement plan claims arise in a number of different contexts, but all contexts share one thing in common: your benefit or your account balance is not worth as much as it should be. That’s when you need a retirement benefits attorney. Bartolic Law has represented clients with claims against all types of ERISA covered retirement plans, including defined benefit pension plans, ESOPs, 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans, cash balance plans, SERPs, and other executive retirement plans.

Michael Bartolic represents executives and managers who have been denied benefits under a supplemental executive retirement plan, excess benefit plan, or any other deferred compensation or retirement plan for executives and management, including short term and long term incentive compensation. Most forms of deferred compensation and retirement plans available only to executives or management lack some of the features other retirement plans offered to all other employees.

Severance benefit claims in Chicago and the rest of the country arise in several contexts. Your employer may have a formal written severance plan, sometimes called an income protection plan, applicable to all employees or a select class of employees, outlining the number of weeks or months of separation compensation payable in the event of an involuntary termination. These plans may or may not include other benefits, usually continued participation in the employer’s health insurance plan at a subsidized rate.

The Firm handles claims for short term disability benefits under employer provided disability plans and programs in the Chicago area and in the rest of Illinois. Employer provided short term disability plans may or may not be governed by ERISA, often depending on the method of funding. Whether or not the plan is covered by ERISA dramatically alters the process by which you claim the benefits and appeal any denial.