Walmart Worker Widow Revives Life Insurance Premium Dispute

The widow of a Walmart Inc. employee got a partial win in her life insurance lawsuit, when the Sixth Circuit revived claims that the retailer violated ERISA by failing to apply augmented leave toward premiums and charging unwarranted premiums.

Walmart must face claims that it breached its fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by charging Elmer Chelf unauthorized premiums while he was on disability leave and by failing to use Chelf’s increased time off to pay premiums under his optional life insurance policy, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Tuesday. Walmart acted as …