Case Name: AMES DEPARTMENT STORE and Commercial Union Ins. Co., Appellant, v. Juanita BETTINGEN, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1990-06-07
Citations: 561 So. 2d 480
Docket Number: No. 89-2298
Parties: AMES DEPARTMENT STORE and Commercial Union Ins. Co., Appellant, v. Juanita BETTINGEN, Appellee.
Judges: SMITH and WIGGINTON, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 561
Pages: 480–481

Head Matter:
AMES DEPARTMENT STORE and Commercial Union Ins. Co., Appellant, v. Juanita BETTINGEN, Appellee.
No. 89-2298.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
June 7, 1990.
Ronald S. Webster and Heskin A. Whit-taker of Whittaker, Stump & Webster, Orlando, for appellants.
H. Guy Smith, Lakeland; Susan W. Fox of MacFarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly, Tampa, for appellee.

Opinion:
WENTWORTH, Judge.
Employer/carrier seek review of a workers' compensation order awarding claimant an attorney's fee predicated on a finding of bad faith. We find no abuse of discretion in the determination of bad faith, and affirm the amount of the fee awarded. In calculating the amount of the fee, the judge of compensation claims considered all of the hours spent by claimant's counsel both prior to and after the employer/carrier filed its notice to controvert. There is record support for the conclusion that the hours expended by claimant's attorney were reasonable and necessary for secur ing those benefits ultimately obtained for his client.
Affirmed.
SMITH and WIGGINTON, JJ., concur.