Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. has been let out of a federal lawsuit alleging that an AstraZeneca employee's application for long-term disability was denied in violation of ERISA regulations. The pharmaceutical company, however, is still on the hook for some of the employee's other claims, including race and gender discrimination.
Deborah Brangman, who worked in AstraZeneca's marketing department from 1996 to 2011, filed the suit in early 2012 after she had been denied an extension of her short-term disability benefits by the company. She then sought long-term benefits from MetLife for her depression and anxiety. Her application was denied, as was her administrative appeal.
