Prudential Beats Widow’s Life Insurance Suit With Blown Deadline

Prudential Insurance Co. of America properly denied life insurance benefits to the widow of a man who waited 26 days too long to convert his employer-sponsored coverage to an individual policy, the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday.

Plaintiff Kathy Hayes urged the court to use equitable tolling principles to excuse her husband’s delay, saying he was incapacitated because of medical issues during the relevant time period.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit wasn’t persuaded, saying that equitable tolling—which allows courts to extend certain deadlines to sue under extraordinary circumstances—can’t be used to extend an insurance plan’s 31-day deadline …