"The governing rule is that so long as the claim could result in relief irrespective of the outcome of the ERISA claim, the plaintiff states a viable cause of action and is able to survive a motion to dismiss. However, if the claim is linked to or intertwined with the underlying ERISA claim such that the success or failure of the claim would depend on a favorable decision on the benefit claim, it will be pre-empted.... Here, the court ... [concluded] that the intentional infliction of emotional distress claim was not preempted. However, if [the participant] had alleged an entitlement to emotional distress damages solely on account of the claim denial or alleged consequential damages on account of a delay in processing his claim, such as asserting an eviction from his home due to the delay, such a claim would easily have been found pre-empted." [Kresich v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., No. 15-cv-05801 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 4, 2016)]  MORE >>