Nancy Ross Barron v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America

Reversed and remanded by published opinion. Judge NIEMEYER wrote the opinion, in which Chief Judge WILKINSON and Chief Judge KEELEY joined .

OPINION

NIEMEYER, Circuit Judge:

In exchange for a lump-sum payment of long-term disability benefits, "Nancy Ross Barron gave a general release to UNUM Life Insurance Company of America as administrator of her employee benefit plan. When Barron had a claim five years later against a different employee benefit plan, of which UNUM coincidentally was also the administrator, UNUM relied on this general release to deny Barron benefits. .

Citing the broad language…