Opinion ID: 165342
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Attorney Fees and Prejudgment Interest

Text: Finally, we address National States’ challenge to the awards of attorney fees and prejudgment interest. We generally review both types of award for abuse of discretion, except that we apply a de novo review to any statutory interpretation. Huffman v. Saul Holdings Ltd. P’ship , 262 F.3d 1128, 1131 (10th Cir. 2001) (attorney fees); Bangert Bros. Constr. Co. , 310 F.3d at 1297 (prejudgment interest). By statute, “costs and attorney fees shall be allowable to the prevailing party” in insurance-contract litigation. Okla. Stat. tit. 36, § 3629(B). “Recovery authorized by § 3629(B) embraces both contract- and tort-related theories of 15 liability so long as the ‘core element’ of the damages sought and awarded is composed of the insured loss.” Taylor v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. , 981 P.2d 1253, 1256 (Okla. 1999). National States argues that the core of the jury verdict was not the insurance proceeds, and, therefore, plaintiffs were not entitled to attorney fees under section 3629(B). We reject this position because we agree with the district court that “the indemnity for loss under the subject life insurance policy was the centerpiece of plaintiffs’ bad faith action,” R. Vol. I, tab 25, at 292, and we adopt the district court’s reasoning for its conclusion, id. at 291-92. National States asserts that the prejudgment interest award under section 3629(B) was improper because it was impossible to determine that the policy benefits were part of the jury verdict. The district court awarded prejudgment interest on only the amount of the insured loss – $8,000. Again, we agree with the district court’s holding and reasoning that the award of prejudgment interest was appropriate. Id. tab 25, at 295-96. Accordingly, we affirm the awards of attorney fees and prejudgment interest pursuant to section 3629(B) and Taylor . 16