Title: Schultz v. Travelers Indem. Co.
Citation: 754 P.2d 265
Docket Number: S-2143, S-2166
State: Alaska
Issuer: Alaska Supreme Court
Date: May 13, 1988

754 P.2d 265 (1988) Ruth P. SCHULTZ, individually, and as personal representative of the estate of Joseph Schultz, deceased, and Jokay Paterson, individually, and as personal representative of the estate of Thomas G. Paterson, deceased, Appellants/Cross-Appellees, v. The TRAVELERS INDEMNITY COMPANY, a Connecticut corporation, Appellee/Cross-Appellant. Nos. S-2143, S-2166. Supreme Court of Alaska. May 13, 1988. Dan A. Hensley, Law Offices of L. Ames Luce, Anchorage, for appellants/cross-appellees. Clark Reed Nichols and James N. Leik, Perkins Coie, Anchorage, for appellee/cross-appellant. Before MATTHEWS, C.J., and RABINOWITZ, BURKE, COMPTON and MOORE, JJ. PER CURIAM. Travelers Indemnity Company cross-appeals a trial court ruling that prospective Civil Rule 82 attorney's fees based on a stipulated projected verdict were a part of Travelers' "policy limits."[1] We affirm based on the reasoning of the trial court: The plaintiffs appealed the trial court's finding that, "the proper Alaska Rule Civil Procedure 82 figure is 7.5 percent." The parties stipulated to use the "without trial" schedule of Civil Rule 82. At the time this case arose, the "without trial" schedule provided for 7.5 percent; thus the parties *268 are bound by their stipulation.[2] AFFIRMED. [1] The parties agreed to be bound by an independent expert's determination of what a jury would have awarded in these cases. The expert's projected verdict in the Schultz case was $4,768,059.00 (including pre-judgment interest) and $2,231,317.54 (including pre-judgment interest) in the Paterson case. Court awarded attorneys' fees were calculated under the "without trial" column of Civil Rule 82(a), as it existed at the time this case arose. Schultz was awarded attorney's fees of $358,958.08 and Paterson was awarded attorney's fees of $167,348.81. [2] We express no opinion as to whether this would be the appropriate percentage to apply absent this stipulation.