Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie
475 U.S. 813 · Decided April 22, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie was decided on April 22, 1986 unanimously (8–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, impartial decision maker” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 475 U.S. 813 · 106 S. Ct. 1580 · 89 L. Ed. 2d 823 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 101
- Docket number
- 84-1601
- Decided
- April 22, 1986
- Argued
- December 4, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, impartial decision maker
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Aetna Life Insurance Co. v. Lavoie et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-069, docket 1985-069-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, impartial decision maker”
- Liljeberg v. Health Services Acquisition Corp.
- Schweiker v. McClure
- Smith v. Phillips
- United States v. Raddatz
- Marshall v. Jerrico, Inc.
- John Patrick Liteky v. United States
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsLaw held unconstitutional
- McMillan v. Pennsylvania
- Bowers v. Hardwick
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Wainwright v. Greenfield
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Regents of the University of Michigan v. Ewing
- Connolly v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- Lyng v. Payne
- Bowen v. Public Agencies Opposed to Social Security Entrapment
- McMillan v. Pennsylvania
- Macdonald v. County of Yolo
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error