Case - Helton v. AT&T

1. What was the legal issue in this case? What did the appeals court decide?

2. Why is the question of whether courts should consider "extrinsic evidence" significant in this type of case? What does the appeals court conclude about the consideration of such evidence?

3. What factors does the courts consider in deciding whether a plan administrator his or her discretion in denying a benefit claim? How were these factors applied to the facts of the case?

4. How were ERISA's reporting and disclosure requirements violated in this case? Do you agree with the court's decision? Why or why not?