Source: http://hughwood.blogspot.com/2011/05/
Timestamp: 2017-12-13 14:50:18
Document Index: 480652906

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 9']

Hugh Wood: May 2011
Posted by Hugh Wood at 8:35 PM No comments: Links to this post
OCGA § 9-11-68 Low Offer of Settlement Bites Defendant Insurance Company
In my article "Georgia's Offer of Settlement Statute, OCGA § 9‑11‑68. The Curious Anomaly of a Low Plaintiff's Offer," I predicted these types of outcomes could happen to Defendants who refuse settle.
http://hughwood.blogspot.com/2010/09/georgias-offer-of-settlement-statute.html
Judge Alvin T. Wong, State Court of DeKalb County, chided the Defendant and its insurance company for proceeding to a jury trial in the face of a $12,000.00 Plaintiff’s offer. The Defendant got spanked by the jury for a $48,081.30 verdict. In the face of Defendant's rejection of Plaintiff's offer to settle of $12,000.00, Judge Wong noted that the Plaintiff’s exceeded the Defendant's offer by more than 125 percent (as now required by the new Offer of Settlement Statute in Georgia OCGA § 9‑11‑68) and obtained a judgment almost four times that of Defendant's offer.
Referencing the famous words of David Glasgow Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay [1] Judge Wong reminded the Defendant that there was a price to pay for a legal strategy he referred to as "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."
Order in Johnson v. Turner, State Court of DeKalb County, State of Georgia Civil Action File No. 08A98178-1, March 14, 2011 at Page 3. [2]
While this firm has counseled more than one losing Plaintiff (being Plaintiffs who failed to achieve at least 75 percent plus a dollar of Defendant's offer to settle and had attorney's fees awarded against them), it is refreshing to see that the Statute has, in fact, two sharp edges to this sword.
A more complete overview of the Offer of Settlement Statute is contained in our publication dated February 4, 2011: Georgia's Offer of Settlement Statute (OCGA § 9‑11‑68): Does It Foster Settlements or Encourage "Betting The Line?".
http://hughwood.blogspot.com/2011/02/georgias-offer-of-settlement-statute.html
www.hughwood.blogspot.comtwitter: USALawyer_
URSULA JOHNSON, Plaintiff
There is no reason in this case for the Court not to exercise its discretion and award attorney's fees in the, full amount of the contingency of $19,232,52. The Court recognizes that it has the discretion to award hourly fees of $8,875 which was hourly work done from the date the offer of settlement was rejected until the date the verdict was returned. However, it is well settled law that a plaintiff's attorney is not entitled to a fee until the contingency occurs. This case was tried to a verdict There is no reason the Plaintiff should not recover the full statutory benefit of O.C.G.A. 9-11-68. There is a price for "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." The Court orders the Defendant to pay attorney's fees under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-68 in the amount of $19,232.52.
Posted by Hugh Wood at 10:59 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: "Hugh Wood", "Judge Alvin T. Wong" "OCGA § 9-11-68" Admirial Farragut "Battle of Mobile Bay", "Offer of Settlement"