Opinion ID: 2512331
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Jury awarded Young $198,971.71 in the underlying case

Text: On April 17, 2000, Young filed suit against the insured, seeking fair compensation for her injuries sustained from the February 1998 car crash. Allstate, through its attorney, Ichiyama, filed an answer on December 18, 2000, alleging, among other things, that Young was injured by her own negligence and that she failed to mitigate her injuries. The defenses caused Young, who was eighty-seven years old at the time, extreme distress and shame. After Young's deposition, Ichiyama indicated that he would recommend that Allstate pay Young its insured's $25,000 limit of coverage. Still, Allstate refused to increase its offer. The case proceeded to the court annexed arbitration program, but the Defendants never took the arbitration seriously; they entered the arbitration hearing with the intention of appealing any award that exceeded a nuisance value for the claim. On June 12, 2001, the arbitrator awarded Young medical expenses of $7,689.51 and general damages of $37,000, for a total award of $45,189.15. On June 26, 2001, Ichiyama filed a notice of appeal requesting a trial de novo. The circuit court ordered the parties to participate in mediation, which was unsuccessful because Allstate refused to improve its nuisance offer of $5,300.00. Thereafter, on July 19, 2001, Young filed a HRCP Rule 68 [3] general damages only offer of judgment for $25,000. Allstate rejected Young's offer, and, in November 2001, it filed an offer of judgment for $5,300. Young again rejected this offer. Following a four-day jury trial in January 2002, the jury awarded Young a total of $198,971.71 (special damages of $11,971.71 and general damages of $187,000). Allstate offered Young $260,000 to settle the lawsuit and give up any right to bring a suit for bad faith against Allstate. However, Young rejected that offer because she wanted to expos[e] Allstate's misconduct on her claim and case to other members of her community. On April 8, 2002, at Young's request and over the opposition of Defendants, the court awarded Young attorney's fees of $15,000, costs pursuant to Hawai`i Revised Statutes (HRS)  607-9 of $3,334.48, and costs pursuant to Hawai`i Arbitration Rules (HAR) Rule 26(B)(1). [4] The circuit court also awarded Young $35,090.03 in prejudgment interest.