Opinion ID: 2600489
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Date on Which Prejudgment Interest Should Have Begun To Accrue.

Text: Alaska Statute 09.30.070(b) provides that, barring exceptions not applicable in this case, prejudgment interest accrues from the day process is served on the defendant or the day the defendant received written notification that an injury has occurred and that a claim may be brought against the defendant for that injury, whichever is earlier. The written notification must be of a nature that would lead a prudent person to believe that a claim will be made against the person receiving the notification, for personal injury, death, or damage to property. Pederson argues that rather than calculating prejudgment interest from October 27, 1999, the date that Pederson became aware of Aiken's wrongdoing and informed the court, the court should instead have deemed interest to accrue from August 16, 2001, the date that Barnes's attorney wrote a demand letter to Pederson. According to Pederson, the August 16, 2001 letter was the first written notice he received that Barnes would pursue a claim against him. The determination of when prejudgment interest begins to accrue presents a legal question that we review de novo. [42] Alaska Statute 09.30.070(b) makes it clear that prejudgment interest begins to accrue on the date that the defendant learns that the plaintiff has a claim against him, rather than on the date the defendant learns that the plaintiff has suffered a loss. While Pederson learned on October 27, 1999, that Aiken had committed wrongdoing leading to Barnes's loss, it was not until August 16, 2001, when Pederson received Barnes's demand letter, that he learned that she would be pursuing a claim against him. We therefore reverse the superior court's choice of date for the accrual of prejudgment interest and remand for a calculation of prejudgment interest accruing from August 16, 2001.