Shapiro v. Berkshire Life Insurance Co.
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
212 F.3d 121 (2000)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
Paul Shapiro (plaintiff) owned a dental practice. Berkshire Life Insurance Company (Berkshire) (defendant) insured Shapiro against occupational disability. Shapiro spent 90 percent of his time doing so-called chair work on his patients’ teeth. Shapiro devoted the rest of his time to the office work involved in running his practice. The onset of arthritis and spondylosis made it impossible for Shapiro to continue doing chair work. However, because Shapiro remained capable of performing office work, Berkshire denied Shapiro’s claim for total-disability payments. Shapiro sued Berkshire for breach of contract. A federal district court entered summary judgment for Shapiro. Berkshire appealed to the Second Circuit.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Jacobs, J.)
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