Hi-Way Fuel Co. v. Estate of Allyn

115 P.3d 1031
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided July 7, 2005·No. 32019-3-II·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

115 P.3d 1031 (2005)

HI-WAY FUEL COMPANY, Respondent,
v.
ESTATE OF Joseph S. ALLYN, deceased, Appellant, Cross-Respondent.
Department of Labor and Industries, Respondent/Cross Appellant,
v.
Estate of Joseph S. Allyn, deceased, Appellant/Cross-Respondent.

No. 32019-3-II.

The Court of Appeals of Washington, Division Two.

July 7, 2005.

*1032 William J. Blitz, Office of the Attorney General, Olympia, WA, Roger Harvey Vanhoy, Attorney at Law, Vancouver, WA, Anastasia R. Sandstrom, Attorney at Law, Seattle, WA, for Respondents.

Ben Shafton, Attorney at Law, Vancouver, WA, for Appellant.

BRIDGEWATER, P.J.

¶ 1 We are asked to determine when litigation costs must be presented to the Department of Labor and Industries (Department) concerning successful litigation against a third-party tortfeasor. We are also asked to determine whether damages for loss of consortium should be deducted from a partial recovery proportionate to the jury award.

*1033 ¶ 2 We hold that litigation costs may be raised for the first time before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (Board). Additionally we hold that, because loss of consortium is expressly excluded from the definition of "recovery" under RCW 51.24.030(5) and is not compensated by the Department, the superior court was correct in deducting loss of consortium damages "off the top" of the partial recovery for RCW 51.24.060 purposes. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for orders consistent with our opinion. We also grant reasonable attorney fees to Allyn both in superior court and in the appellate court.

¶ 3 This case involves both an appeal by the estate of Joseph S. Allyn and a cross-appeal by the Department of Labor and Industries from the superior court's ruling affirming a Board decision.[1]

¶ 4 Joseph S. Allyn was fatally injured in a motor vehicle collision on January 22, 1999, during the course of his employment with Hi-Way Fuel Company (Hi-Way). His widow, Jill D. Allyn (Allyn), and posthumous son began receiving survivor benefits under the Washington State Industrial Insurance Act.

¶ 5 Allyn filed suit against the third-party tortfeasor, Steven Asher, for negligently causing her husband's death, and the matter was tried to a jury in November 2001. Allyn prevailed and was awarded $800,000 in economic damages and $200,000 for loss of consortium.[2] She obtained $466,736.13 of the judgment from Asher's insurance company. Allyn then notified the Department of her recovery.[3]

¶ 6 On February 13, 2002, the Department issued an order determining Allyn's gross recovery for RCW 51.24.060 purposes. At the time of the order, the Department had paid Allyn $113,658.85 in benefits. In computing the distribution of Allyn's partial recovery under RCW 51.24.060, the Department proportionally deducted 20 percent of the $466,736.13 for loss of consortium damages, leaving a gross recovery of $373,388.91. The Department then determined that Allyn's litigation costs were $76,252.57, and it deducted those costs and her attorney fees of $124,462.97 from the gross recovery. Allyn ultimately received $120,112.33, her attorney received $200,715.54, and the Department received $52,561.04.

¶ 7 The Department's calculations under RCW 51.24.030(5) and .060 were as follows:

  Partial Recovery:                                 $466,736.13
  Minus 20% loss of consortium damages:             - 93,347.22
                                                    ___________
  Gross recovery amount:                            $373,388.91
  Minus attorney fees & litigation costs
  ($124,462.97) + ($76,252.57)              total:  -200,715.54
                                                    -----------

See Administrative Record (AR) Ex. 4.

¶ 8 In arriving at the litigation cost computation, the Department relied on a January 14, 2001 letter from Allyn's attorney delineating the costs as $76,818.90, but deducted costs for internal copying and postage.

¶ 9 Allyn appealed the Department's order to the Board, asserting that the Department had incorrectly determined both her gross recovery and litigation costs under RCW 51.24.060. At the hearing, Allyn introduced a cost bill showing her litigation costs as $83,181.08, and she argued that the Department should have used this sum in determining its reimbursement under RCW 51.24.060.

¶ 10 The industrial appeals judge (IAJ) reversed the Department's calculation of Allyn's gross recovery, determining that the *1034 Department should have deducted the $200,000 in loss of consortium damages "off the top" of her $466,736.13 recovery because under RCW 51.24.030(5), damages for loss of consortium are not considered in the distribution of amounts received under RCW 51.24.060. The IAJ issued a proposed decision and order calculating Allyn's gross recovery as $266,736.13. In addition, the IAJ determined that the Department had properly calculated Allyn's litigation costs as $76,252.57.

¶ 11 The IAJ's calculations were as follows:

  Partial Recovery:                                $466,736.13
  Minus loss of consortium damages:                -200,000.00
                                                   ___________
  Gross recovery amount:                           $266,736.13
  Minus attorney fees & litigation costs
  ($124,462.97) + ($76,252.57)             total:  -200,715.54
                                                   -----------

¶ 12 All parties petitioned for review to the Board. The Department and Hi-Way asserted that the Department had properly calculated Allyn's gross recovery[4] while Allyn sought review of the Department's calculation of her litigation costs. On June 19, 2003, the Board adopted the IAJ's proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law in its decision.

¶ 13 The Department and Hi-Way subsequently appealed the Board's decision regarding the determination of Allyn's gross recovery to the Skamania County Superior Court. In turn, Allyn cross-appealed and moved for summary judgment on both the calculation of her gross recovery and the determination of her litigation costs. Additionally, Allyn asserted that the Department and Hi-Way lacked standing to appeal. On May 26, 2004, the superior court denied Allyn's lack of standing claims and orally affirmed the Board's decision.

¶ 14 Subsequent to the court's ruling, the Department indicated to Allyn that in re-calculating her distribution share under RCW 51.24.060, her litigation costs might be proportionally reduced.

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Hi-Way Fuel Co. v. Estate of Allyn, 115 P.3d 1031 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005).

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