Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company v. Janette Knudson and Eric Knudson
534 U.S. 204 · Decided January 8, 2002 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company v. Janette Knudson and Eric Knudson was decided on January 8, 2002 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Employee Retirement Income Security Act” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 534 U.S. 204 · 122 S. Ct. 708 · 151 L. Ed. 2d 635 · 2002 U.S. LEXIS 399
- Docket number
- 99-1786
- Decided
- January 8, 2002
- Argued
- October 1, 2001
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent |
Full case caption
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, et al. v. Janette Knudson and Eric Knudson
SCDB identifiers: case 2001-012, docket 2001-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Employee Retirement Income Security Act”
- The Black & Decker Disability Plan v. Kenneth L. Nord
- Lori Pegram v. Cynthia Herdrich
- Harris Trust and Savings Bank, Etc. v. Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
- Raymond B. Yates, M.D., P.C. Profit Sharing Plan v. William T. Hendon
- Central Laborers' Pension Fund v. Thomas E. Heinz
- Unum Life Insurance Company of America v. John E. Ward
Cases on the same legal provision: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Rush Prudential HMO, Inc. v. Debra C. Moran
- Donna Rae Egelhoff v. Samantha Egelhoff
- Kentucky Association of Health Plans, Inc. v. Janie A. Miller
- Aetna Health Inc. v. Juan Davila
- Barbara A. de Buono v. Nysa-Ila Medical and Clinical Services Fund, Etc.
- Sandra Jean Dale Boggs v. Thomas F. Boggs
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- TRW Inc. v. Adelaide Andrews
- J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
- Jo Anne B. Barnhart v. Sigmon Coal Company, Inc.
- Cornelius P. Young v. United States
- Verizon Communications Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
- Mathias v. Worldcom Techs.
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