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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Atwood doctrine
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A quick definition of Atwood doctrine:
The Atwood doctrine is a rule that says if there is a conflict between an employee benefit plan and its summary-plan description about when benefits can be denied, the summary-plan description is the one that controls. This means that if the two documents say different things, the summary-plan description is the one that should be followed.
A more thorough explanation:
The Atwood doctrine is a principle that applies to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans. It states that if there is a conflict between the plan and its summary-plan description regarding the circumstances under which benefits may be denied, the summary-plan description controls.
For example, if an ERISA plan states that an employee must work for a company for five years to be eligible for retirement benefits, but the summary-plan description states that an employee only needs to work for three years, the summary-plan description would control.
The Atwood doctrine was established in the case of Atwood v. Newmont Gold Co., where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the summary-plan description takes precedence over the plan itself in cases of conflict. This principle is also codified in 29 USCA § 1022.