Sanders v. Wysocki

655 So. 2d 713, 94 La.App. 4 Cir. 2062, 1995 La. App. LEXIS 1238, 1995 WL 296948
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 16, 1995
DocketNo. 94-CA-2062
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 655 So. 2d 713 (Sanders v. Wysocki) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanders v. Wysocki, 655 So. 2d 713, 94 La.App. 4 Cir. 2062, 1995 La. App. LEXIS 1238, 1995 WL 296948 (La. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

| ]WALTZER, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans on the motion of Christina Wysocki, individually and as Administratrix of the Succession of James A. Wysocki, her late husband, to fix interest, costs, attorneys fees and amounts owed by New England Insurance Company pursuant to final, executory judgment of this Court in Sanders v. Wysocki, 92-1190 (La. App. 4 Cir. 1/27/94), 631 So.2d 1330, writ den. 637 So.2d 156 (La.1994).

[715]*715Wysocki sought recovery of interest accrued between the date on which Sanders filed suit against Wysocki’s husband for legal malpractice and the date on which Wysocki filed a cross-claim against New England, as well as attorneys’ fees incurred in the prosecution of her appeal from an adverse jury verdict in Sanders v. Wysocki, Id.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

This case arises out of a legal malpractice claim filed on 15 May 1986 by Willie Sanders against his former attorneys, Richard J. Garrett and James A. Wysocki, claiming the attorneys allowed his personal injury claim to prescribe. Sanders sought the legal services of Mr. Garrett, who referred the case to Mr. Wysocki; co-defendants were Bonnie L. Za-kotnik and the partnership of Heisler and Wysocki, Mr. Wysocki’s law firm. After Mr. Wysocki’s death, Mrs. Wysocki was substituted as a defendant. Thereafter, on 5 March 1991, nearly five years after the original suit was filed, she filed a third-party demand against Garrett’s malpractice insurer, New England. Wysocki carried no legal malpractice insurance. Sanders’ claims were settled prior to trial, leaving for the jury only the issues of Wysocki’s third-party claim for insurance coverage, penalties and attorneys’ fees against Garrett and RNew England. The parties stipulated on the record that should the jury find New England liable to Mrs. Wysocki, the amount of damages would be $301,000.00. After trial, the jury found that Wysocki was not an insured under the policy New England issued to Garrett, and that New England’s refusal to defend Mrs. Wysocki against Sanders’ claims was not arbitrary, capricious or without probable cause.

On appeal, this Court found the jury verdict denying coverage to be manifestly erroneous, and affirmed the jury’s finding that New England’s denial of Wysocki’s cross-claim was not arbitrary, capricious or without probable cause. The decree provided:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment herein in favor of third-party plaintiff CRISTINA L. WYSOCKI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRA-TRIX OF THE SUCCESSION OF JAMES A. WYSOCKI and against third-party defendant NEW ENGLAND INSURANCE COMPANY [92-1190 La.App. 4 Cir. 9] in the amount of THREE HUNDRED AND ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND NO/100 ($301,000.00), plus legal interest from the date of judicial demand, and all costs at the trial and appellate levels.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment herein in favor of third-party defendant NEW ENGLAND INSURANCE COMPANY and against third-party plaintiff CRISTINA L. WYSOCKI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRA-TRIX OF THE SUCCESSION OF JAMES A. WYSOCKI dismissing with prejudice her claims for a penalty.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that there be judgment in favor of third-party defendant RICHARD GARRETT and against third-party plaintiff CRISTINA L. WYSOCKI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINIS-TRATRIX OF THE SUCCESSION OF JAMES A. WYSOCKI dismissing with prejudice her claims against him.

REVERSED AND RENDERED.

Wysocki did not seek review of this Court’s decree. Defendants Garrett and New England sought writs from the Louisiana Supreme Court which were denied.

On 6 May 1994, ITT Hartford paid to Wysocki’s attorneys two checks totalling $383,776.16, for which Wysocki’s counsel gave a release reserving rights to pursue additional amounts that may be due per the Judgment.

On 27 June 1994, ITT Hartford paid Wy-socki’s counsel an additional $11,671.20, which, according to the terms of the receipt, “represents the payment of costs in the matter entitled Willie Sanders v. James A. Wy-socki, et al.” The receipt contains the same reservation of rights to pursue additional amounts “that may be due per the Judgment in the aforementioned.”

13FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR: Legal interest should have been awarded from the date the Sanders’ suit was filed, 15 Mag 1986.

Imposition of legal interest in tort suits is governed by La.R.S. 13:4203, which provides:

[716]*716Legal interest shall attach from date of judicial demand, on all judgments, sounding in damages, “ex delicto”, which may be rendered by any of the courts.

Wysocki relies on that statute and on the jurisprudence thereunder, holding that where tort defendants are solidarity liable, the interest on the judgment runs from the date of plaintiffs first judicial claim against all parties responsible for a single tortious occurrence. La.C.C.P. art. 1153; Ridenour v. Wausau Ins. Co., 627 So.2d 141, 142 (La. 1993); Burton v. Foret, 498 So.2d 706 (La. 1986). This line of authority is not applicable where, as here, the claim upon which judgment was rendered, and as to which interest is to be imposed, sounds in contract, not in tort. While Mr. Sanders’ claim was ex delic-to, for Mr. Wysocki’s negligent handling of his legal claim, Wysocki’s claim against his referring counsel’s insurer is ex contractu. See, Booth v. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., 253 La. 521, 218 So.2d 580, 583-584 (1968).

Legal interest on judgments ex contractu is set in La.C.C. ai't. 2000 (formerly art. 1938): “[Djamages for delay in performance are measured by the interest on that sum from the time it is due,_” See, Teledyne Movible Offshore, Inc. v. C & K Offshore Co., 376 So.2d 357, 359 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1979). Wysocki argues that the sum was “due” when Mr. Sanders filed suit against Wysocki.

In suits by an insured against his alleged insurer, legal interest runs from the date of judicial demand. Ainsworth v. Government Employees Ins. Co., 433 So.2d 709 (La.1983), citing the consolidated cases Block v. Reliance Insurance Co. and Faria v. Smoak, 433 So.2d 1040 (La.1983).

This Court’s decree awarded “judgment herein in favor of third-party plaintiff CHRISTINA L. WYSOCKI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE SUCCESSION OF JAMES A. WYSOCKI and against third party defendant NEW J¿ENGLAND INSURANCE COMPANY in the amount of ... ($301,000.00), plus legal interest from the date of judicial demand. ...”

Wysocki, as “third-party plaintiff’ made judicial demand upon New England when she filed her third party demand on 5 March 1991. Prior to that time, New England had not received a judicial demand to defend, indemnify or insure against Mr. Wysocki’s legal malpractice. Indeed, it was not until this Court on 27 January 1994 rendered its opinion that New England knew that Mr. Wysocki would be deemed to be its insured under the policy it issued to Mi’. Garrett.

We cannot say that the trial court’s plain reading of the appellate decree was erroneous as a matter of law, or manifestly erroneous as a finding of fact. The trial court had before it the facts that New England’s insurance contract did not name Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
655 So. 2d 713, 94 La.App. 4 Cir. 2062, 1995 La. App. LEXIS 1238, 1995 WL 296948, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-v-wysocki-lactapp-1995.