Case Name: Deanna DOYLE-VALLERY, M.D.; Deanna Doyle-Vallery, M.D., P.A.; and Corcoran, Easterling & Doyle-Vallery, Ltd., Appellants, v. Julie B. ARANIBAR and Richard Aranibar, M.D., Husband and Wife, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2003-01-31
Citations: 838 So. 2d 1198
Docket Number: No. 2D02-2311
Parties: Deanna DOYLE-VALLERY, M.D.; Deanna Doyle-Vallery, M.D., P.A.; and Corcoran, Easterling & Doyle-Vallery, Ltd., Appellants, v. Julie B. ARANIBAR and Richard Aranibar, M.D., Husband and Wife, Appellees.
Judges: DAVIS and CANADY, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 838
Pages: 1198–1200

Head Matter:
Deanna DOYLE-VALLERY, M.D.; Deanna Doyle-Vallery, M.D., P.A.; and Corcoran, Easterling & Doyle-Vallery, Ltd., Appellants, v. Julie B. ARANIBAR and Richard Aranibar, M.D., Husband and Wife, Appellees.
No. 2D02-2311.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
Jan. 31, 2003.
Richard R. Garland of Dickinson & Gibbons, P.A., Sarasota, for Appellants.
Theodore C. Eastmoore, Patricia D. Crauwels, and Alan W. Roddy of Matthews, Eastmoore, Hardy, Crauwels & Garcia, Sarasota, for Appellees.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The defendants, Deanna Doyle-Vallery, M.D.; Deanna Doyle-Vallery, M.D., P.A.; and Corcoran, Easterling & Doyle-Vallery, Ltd., appeal a postjudgment order granting attorneys' fees and utilizing a multiplier to calculate the award pursuant to section 768:79, Florida Statutes (2001). We affirm the trial court's order. This court has held that trial courts may consider and apply a contingency risk multiplier when awarding attorneys' fees under the offer of judgment statute. See Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corp. v. Jensen, 752 So.2d 1275 (Fla. 2d DCA 2000). Although Judge Casanue-va's dissent in Pirelli Armstrong presents a strong argument, the supreme court has accepted review of this issue in Allstate Insurance Co. v. Sarkis, 809 So.2d 6 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001), review granted, 826 So.2d 992 (Fla.2002) (holding trial courts are without legal authority to utilize contingency multiplier under section 768.79). Accordingly, we certify conflict with Sarkis.
Affirmed.
DAVIS and CANADY, JJ., concur.
ALTENBERND, J., concurs specially.