Opinion ID: 267450
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: United Insulation Company (Thomas P. Simpson).

Text: 69 United Insulation Company (Thomas P. Simpson) was the subcontractor for insulation. The total price of its contract was $36,495. United Insulation was paid $31,945.50. It completed its contract and the district court found that no defects existed or were even alleged. The district court awarded United Insulation the balance on the contract, $4,549.50 plus $280.88 for truck rental, an undisputed item, and reasonable attorney's fees in the amount of $1,500. As a basis for the award of attorney's fees, the court found that the prime contractor's failure to pay the balance due on the contract was arbitrary, capricious, and without probable cause. See Louisiana Statutes Annotated-R.S. 22:658. 70 United Insulation contends on appeal that, in addition to the amount the district court awarded, it is entitled to recover $5,400 in extra labor costs and $5,275.25 in lost profits. In addition, United Insulation contends that the amount of attorney's fees awarded is inadequate. 71 The district court found that United Insulation had never notified the prime contractor of any extra costs and had not protested or claimed any extra costs, prior to suit. Furthermore, the court found that United Insulation failed to prove that it was required to furnish extra labor and/or material at the direction of or because of action of Williams and Dunlap. After examining those portions of the record cited to us by United Insulation [Record, pp. 1200-28; Joint Appendix, pp. 225-28 (Change Order A-2), we agree with the district court. 72 We think that United Insulation is not entitled to recover on its claim for lost but anticipated profits. To allow its claim would amount to a double recovery against the prime contractor. More specifically, we noted earlier that, in case of breach by the prime contractor, the subcontractor is entitled to 73 unpaid installments of the contract price, less the cost of completion of the work, including correction of defective work, that is saved to the subcontractor by reason of the repudiation of the prime contractor, with additional compensation for any other injury that could not be reasonably avoided by the subcontractor and that the prime contractor had reason to foresee when the contract was made. 74