# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 1 I 0 1 70

. J AMES T. CURRY v

. ALLSTATE PROPERTY & C A S UALTY I NS.

CO.

Fo l l owi n g a car acci d en t

, J am es T. Cu rry s u ed t h e t o rt feas o r; h e al s o s o u g h t to

reco v er fro m Al l s tat e Pro p ert y & Cas u al t y In s uran ce Co m p an y , wh i ch pro v i d ed h i m

u n i n s u red m o t o ri s t b en efi ts i n t h e am ou n t o f $3 0 ,0 0 0

. A ju ry a w a r d ed Cu rry

$ 8 5 ,5 7 9 .0 2 p l u s co u rt co st s

. Th ereaft er, Cu rry fi l ed s u i t ag ai n s t Al l s t at e u n d er OCGA

§ 3 3 -7 -1 1 (j), wh i ch p en al i zes an i n s urer fo r b ad fai t h refu s al t o p ay a d em an d

. Th e

s t at u te p ro v i d es t h at “ t h e i ns u rer s h al l b e l i ab l e t o t h e i n s u red i n a d d i t i o n t o an y

reco v ery u n d er t h i s Co d e s ect i o n fo r n o t m o re t h an 2 5 percen t o f t h e reco v ery an d al l

reas on a b l e at t o rn ey ’ s fees fo r t h e p ro s ecu t io n o f t h e cas e u nd er th i s Co d e s ect i o n.”

OCGA § 3 3 -7 -1 1 (j).

Al l s tat e m o ved fo r p art i al s u m m ary j u d gm en t, arg u i n g t hat Cu rry was l i m i t ed

t o reco v e r i n g 2 5 p e rcen t o f t h e $ 3 0 ,0 0 0 p o l i cy li m i t s rat h er t h an 2 5 p ercen t o f t h e

v erd i ct

. Al l s tat e al s o arg u ed t h at OCGA § 3 3 -7 -1 1 (j) d id n o t au t h o ri ze t h e reco v ery

o f at t o rn ey fees fro m t h e u n d erl y i n g t o rt cl ai m
, b u t rat h er au t h ori zed t h e reco v ery o f

o n l y t h o s e fees in cu rred i n t h e cas e b ro u g h t un d er OCGA § 3 3 -7 -1 1

. Th e t ri al co u rt

ag reed an d g ran t ed p art ial su m m ary j u d g m e n t

. C u rry t h en fi l ed t h i s ap p l i cat i o n fo r

i n t erl o cu t o ry

ap p eal

.
U n d er OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 6 (h ), t h e g ran t o f p art ial su m m ary ju dg m en t o n a n y

i s su e o r as t o an y p art y is rev i ewab l e b y d i rect ap peal

. O l y m p i c D ev. G r o u

p v.

Am e r i c a n Dr u g

gi s ts ’ In s

. Co

. , 1 7 5 Ga. Ap p

. 4 2 5

, 4 2 5 (1 ) (3 3 3 SE2 d 6 2 2 ) (1 9 8 5 ).

Th u s, t h e o rd er t h at Cu rry s eek s t o ap p eal i s di rect l y ap p eal ab l e an d n ot s u b j ect t o t h e

i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal req ui rem en t s

. “ Th i s C o u rt wi ll g ran t a ti m el y ap p l icat i o n fo r April 15, 2021i n t erl o cu t o ry rev i ew i f t h e o rd er co m p lai n ed of i s su b

j ect t o d i r e c t ap p eal an d t h e

ap p li can t s h av e n o t o t herwi s e fi l ed a n ot i ce o f ap p eal

. ” S p i vey v. Hemb r ee , 2 6 8 Ga.

Ap p . 4 8 5 , 4 8 6 n . 1 (6 0 2 SE2 d 2 4 6 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

Acco rd i ng l y , t hi s a p p l i cat i o n fo r i nt erl o cu t o ry rev i ew i s h ereb y GRANTED.

Cu rry s h al l h av e t en d ay s fro m t h e d at e o f t h is o rd er t o fi l e a no t i ce o f ap p eal i n t h e

t ri al co u rt i f h e h as n o t al read y d o n e so

. See OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (b ). Th e cl erk o f t h e t ri al

c o urt i s DIRECTED t o i n cl u de a co p y o f t h is o rd er i n t h e reco rd t ran s m it t ed t o t h e

Co u rt o f Ap p eal s

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r t i f y t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 04/15/2021