If you work for a private employer in Missouri you are protected by laws known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). One of the benefits you have under ERISA rights is that your employer must disclose certain information about your retirement plan and disability benefits. Violations of these ERISA rights can result in the need to seek the help of a St. Louis ERISA lawyer.
The Basics of the Benefits Protected by ERISA Rights
The ERISA rights protect several types of employee benefits for Missouri workers. Private pension and retirement plans are the most commonly discussed aspects of your benefits package, but many workers do not realize that their disability benefits and insurance are also protected by ERISA rights.
In most cases, your benefits in an ERISA-protected benefits package are paid for partially by your employer and partially out of your own paycheck. Because your paychecks have these payments automatically taken out you are given specific ERISA rights that allow you access to the information regarding how your payments are applied to your benefits.
The ERISA law is in place to protect Missouri workers from unfair practices regarding their benefits and prevent loss of necessary coverage when they need to call upon those benefits in the face of retirement or unexpected disability. You may need a St. Louis ERISA lawyer if you attempt to collect on your benefits and find that there has been mismanagement of your accounts.
Your ERISA Rights to Disclosure of Information on Your Benefits Package
As a Missouri employee in a private company you are entitled to both automatic disclosures and requested disclosures in regards to your ERISA-protected benefits. The ERISA rights require that you receive periodic updates to the following aspects of your benefits:
- Summary of material modification;
- Summary annual report;
- Periodic pension benefit statement;
- Notification of significant reduction in future benefit accruals;
- Annual funding statement; and
- Notice of intent to terminate.
You should automatically receive periodic updates on your benefits that are governed under ERISA. This is to keep you informed of how your money is being used and saved for your later benefit. Failure to adhere to the agreed periodic updates can create worry about the management of your plans. If you are in doubt of how your plan is being handled you can discuss the situation with a St. Louis ERISA lawyer to see if further investigation is needed.
Your ERISA Rights to Request Information
Even if you are not working with a St. Louis ERISA lawyer to file a lawsuit for misconduct in regards to your benefits plan you may need to request certain information about your benefits.
ERISA rights require the plan administration to provide you with plan documents and a statement of accrued and no forfeitable benefits within 30 days of your request.
These are just 2 main examples of the documents you may need to request to review the details of your ERISA-regulated benefits plan. If you are ever denied your disability benefits or question your coverage in the event of unexpected retirement due to disability you should contact your St. Louis ERISA lawyer to request your plan information to determine your rights to benefit access.
A well-managed and honest benefit plan should not create the need to investigate the plan details on a regular basis. If your employer and plan managers are honest about their upkeep of your benefits plan you should never have to worry about your ERISA rights.
In the event the validity of your benefits plan is ever called into question - whether you suspect suspicious activity or you have been denied the full benefits you are entitled to - you do not have to handle the fight for your rightful benefits alone. An experienced St. Louis ERISA lawyer can protect your ERISA rights and help you obtain the information that your employer must legally disclose for your use in an ERISA-related lawsuit.
Contacting a St. Louis ERISA Lawyer to Protect Your Rights
If your ERISA-controlled disability benefits, life insurance or accidental death benefits have been unfairly denied it's important that you seek legal guidance from a St. Louis ERISA lawyer who understands the intricacies of these very complex cases. The Missouri ERISA attorney team at Bollwerk & Associates, LLC fights for Missouri workers. Contact us today - 314-315-8111.
