Sereboff v. Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Inc., 547 U.S. 356 (2006), was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the ability of an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plan fiduciary to recover medical costs from a beneficiary who has been reimbursed for injuries by a third party. The Court ruled unanimously that ERISA permitted the fiduciary to recover costs from the settlement proceeds a beneficiary received in a personal injury lawsuit. Background ERISA plan, injuries, and settlement Marlene Sereboff and her husband Joel were the beneficiaries of a health insurance plan administered by Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Inc., and covered by ERISA. The plan contained an "Acts of Third Parties" provision, which applied if a third party was responsible for their illness or injury, and required the beneficiaries to reimburse Mid Atlantic for plan benefits from any recovery from that third party. The provision further stated that Mid Atlantic's share of the recovery would not be reduced because the beneficiary did not receive the full damages claimed. The Sereboffs were injured in a car accident in California, and the plan paid the couple's medical expenses. They filed a tort action in state court against several third parties, seeking compensatory damages for their injuries. Beginning soon after the suit was commenced, Mid Atlantic sent the Sereboffs and their attorney several letters in which it asserted a lien on the anticipated proceeds from the suit for paid medical expenses eventually totaling $74,869.37. The Sereboffs eventually settled their tort suit for $750,000, but did not distribute anything to Mid Atlantic. Collection suit Mid Atlantic filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, claiming a right to collect from the Sereboffs under § 502(a)(3) of ERISA. Because the Sereboffs' attorney had already distributed the settlement proceeds to them, Mid Atlantic sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction requiring the couple to retain and set aside at least $74,869.37 from the proceeds. The District Court approved a stipulation under which the Sereboffs agreed to preserve the amount claimed in an investment account until after the case was decided on the merits and all appeals exhausted. The District Court ruled for Mid Atlantic and ordered the Sereboffs to pay $74,869.37, plus interest, with a deduction for Mid Atlantic's share of the attorney's fees and court costs that the Sereboffs had incurred in state court. On