{"argument_date":"2010-11-30T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2010-11-30T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2010","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","paragraphs":["Theodore Olson argued Congress created a specific enforcement scheme for ERISA violations.","Olson stated the opposing sides seek equitable remedies for misleading summaries, not direct benefit recovery.","Kneedler argued pension benefits are a major component of employee compensation.","Bruce argued detrimental reliance is not found in the ERISA summary requirement section."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 44-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 44-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 6-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 16-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 16-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 50-4","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 50-4"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 16-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 18-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 18-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 28-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 42-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 8-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 8-10"}]}],"caption":"CIGNA Corp. v. Amara","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:25.244594Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Employees claim Cigna’s inaccurate pension summary caused them to lose benefits. Cigna argues the summary does not change the actual plan terms.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2010-11-30T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2010","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/09-804.html","primary_docket":"09-804","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T00:44:19.588694Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["This case tests whether a summary document can override the formal pension plan. Employees rely on the summary to claim lost money. Cigna insists the formal plan controls all benefits."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 30, 2010."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Employees want a court order requiring Cigna to pay the pension benefits they lost due to the misleading summary.","Cigna wants the court to reject the claim that the summary changed the plan and deny the lost benefit payments."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Employees argue the summary created a binding promise that Cigna must honor to prevent unfair loss of compensation.","Cigna argues the summary is merely informational and cannot legally amend the formal plan document that governs benefits."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Scalia asked whether items in the summary must exist in the formal plan to be valid.","Justice Ginsburg asked if the lower court treated the summary as an amendment or just a description of the plan."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 44-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 44-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 6-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 16-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 16-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 50-4","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 50-4"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 16-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 18-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 18-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 28-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 42-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 8-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 8-10"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute determines whether employees can recover lost pension money based on a summary document. It defines the legal weight of plan summaries versus formal plan documents. It affects how companies communicate benefit changes to workers."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 44-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 44-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 6-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 6-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 16-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 16-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 50-4","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 50-4"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 16-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 18-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 18-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 28-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 28-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 42-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 8-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 8-10"}]}],"slug":"2010-09-804-cigna-corp-v-amara","term":"2010","title":"Does a misleading summary plan description allow employees to claim lost pension benefits?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 30-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 30-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 8-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2010/09-804.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 8-26"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}