Case Title: Meek v. Diversified Products Corp.

Citation: 575 So. 2d 1100

Docket Number: 1900113

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1991-03-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
575 So. 2d 1100 (1991)
Larry D. MEEK
v.
DIVERSIFIED PRODUCTS CORPORATION.
Ex parte Larry D. MEEK.
(Re Larry D. MEEK v. DIVERSIFIED PRODUCTS CORPORATION).
89-1610, 1900113.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
March 1, 1991.
Ruth S. Sullivan, Dadeville, for appellant and petitioner.
Larry E. Forrester of Smith, Currie & Hancock, Atlanta, Ga., and W.F. Horsley of Samford, Denson, Horsley, Pettey, Martin and Barrett, Opelika, for appellee and respondent.
SHORES, Justice.
Larry D. Meek, plaintiff in a lawsuit, filed a petition for a writ of mandamus, challenging an award of attorney fees to the defendant, Diversified Products Corporation, *1101 under the Alabama Litigation Accountability Act, §§ 12-19-270 through -276, Ala.Code 1975 (1987 Cum.Supp.). We deny the petition for writ of mandamus.
Meek filed the complaint in this case, his second lawsuit against Diversified, on March 24, 1989. In this second suit he claimed that he had been discharged in retaliation for instituting or maintaining an action for worker's compensation benefits, and that he had been discharged in derogation of Diversified's employee handbook. His complaint was timely answered by Diversified.
On February 1, 1990, Diversified filed motions to dismiss and for summary judgment on the grounds that Meeks was trying to relitigate his workers' compensation case. Diversified argued that the loss or injury alleged in the instant case derived from the same set of circumstances as those previously litigated, i.e., Meek's onthe-job injury. The trial court held a hearing at which Meek's deposition was considered and during which Meeks admitted that the only damages he sought in the present action were to compensate for the medical expenses related to a Dr. Serrato's treatment of his on-the-job injury. The trial court granted the motion for summary judgment. Meek did not appeal from the summary judgment.
During the hearing on the motion for summary judgment, counsel for Diversified requested, and was granted, permission from the court to file a motion pursuant to the Alabama Litigation Accountability Act. Diversified filed its motion for an award of attorney fees and a supporting memorandum of law on March 30, 1990. After a hearing on the matter, the trial judge awarded attorney fees to Diversified and entered a judgment against Meek's attorney in the amount of $11,550.00.
Meek and his attorney filed motions on July 11 and 18, 1990, seeking post-judgment relief from the trial judge's order. Before the trial court could rule on these motions, a notice of appeal was filed on July 23, 1990 (Case No. 89-1610). Our denial of the writ of mandamus makes Case No. 89-1610 moot.
The trial judge's order read as follows:
"The Act defines `without substantial justification' as follows:
"Thus, the question now before the Court is whether the present case was instituted without substantial justification.
The trial judge's order gives the factual background of the case and reflects an appropriate utilization of the Alabama Litigation Accountability Act. We note that the trial judge set forth substantial reasons for this award, as required by § 12-19-273. This section permits the trial court to exercise its discretion in the awarding of attorney fees authorized by the statute, but requires that it set forth the reasons for the award. Tidwell v. Waldrop, 554 So. 2d 1009, 1010 (Ala.1989), and A & M Grocery v. Lopez, 567 So. 2d 261, 263-64 (Ala.1990).
In his petition for writ of mandamus, Meek challenges the trial court's authority to consider Diversified's motion for attorney fees 36 days after the court had entered a summary judgment for Diversified. Meek contends that the language of § 12-19-272 requires that the award of attorney fees be a part of the summary judgment.
The record reflects that the issue of attorney fees was raised by Diversified during the hearing on its motion for summary judgment. The trial court specifically granted Diversified's request to file a written motion and brief. This reserved the court's jurisdiction of Diversified's motion and gave ample notice to the plaintiff and his attorney.
The specific language of the Alabama Litigation Accountability Act, consistent with its intent, provides for the trial court to consider the outcome of the proceedings in determining whether a party's action was without substantial justification. § 12-19-273(7). The holding of a separate hearing on the motion for an award of attorney fees after the entry of the summary judgment was a proper exercise of discretion by the trial court. The hearing provided an opportunity for the plaintiff and his attorney to be heard.
For the reasons stated above, the petition for writ of mandamus is due to be denied.
CASE 1900113, WRIT DENIED.
CASE 89-1610, DISMISSED AS MOOT.
MADDOX, HOUSTON, KENNEDY and INGRAM, JJ., concur.
[1]  Meek had been receiving temporary total and permanent partial disability benefits since the time of his injury. The circuit court awarded Meek $414,225.24 in permanent total disability benefits discounted to present value.