Voluntary retirees from Chevron alleged that the company misrepresented the unavailability of extra retirement benefits if they had forced the company to fire them. The Fifth Circuit yesterday ruled that the plaintiffs doomed their claims under ERISA because they failed to allege a causal connection between the misrepresentations and their loss of the additional benefits. The court pointed to the absence of allegations that Chevron would have canned them if they hadn’t voluntarily retired, noting that the loss of a chance to get more benefits doesn’t suffice. Ferrer v. Chevron Corp., No. 04-61102 (5th Cir. Apr. 12, 2007).
Barry Barnett
