SAN FRANCISCO — A woman is suing AT&T Umbrella Benefit Plan No. 1, an insurance plan, citing alleged breach of contract.
Brenda Shirks filed a complaint on Dec. 2, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against AT&T Umbrella Benefit Plan No. 1 alleging that the insurance plan breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that she was employed by AT&T as a Customer Service Representative, until she was advised by her primary doctor to leave work on May 13, due to numerous medical conditions including debilitating lumbar disc disease, radiculopathy, hypertension, skin ulceration, coagulation defect, dysuria, upper respiratory infection and depression. Plaintiff accordingly applied for benefits under defendant’s short-term disability plan, and was denied coverage. The plaintiff holds AT&T Umbrella Benefit Plan No. 1 responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to pay disability benefit payments to plaintiff, and failed to consider plaintiff's medical records and clear opinions of her physicians.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendant, compensatory damages, costs of suit, attorney's fees, interest and further relief as the court may deem proper. She is represented by P. Randall Noah of Law Offices Of P. Randall Noah in Orinda.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case number 16-cv-06931