Crowder Hitz v. Symetra Life Insurance Company

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION LAURA CROWDER HITZ, ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 4:22 CV 1374 RWS ) SYMETRA LIFE INSURANCE ) COMPANY, ) ) Defendant, ) MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Defendant Symetra Life insurance Company denied Plaintiff Laura Crowder Hitz’s claim for long-term disability benefits after concluding that her claim was barred as a pre-existing condition under the terms of Symetra’s benefits plan. Hitz filed this lawsuit alleging that the denial of benefits violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. §…