Opinion ID: 1924326
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Amending the Judgment

Text: Dr. Vaughan and the Group argue that the trial court erred in refusing to amend the judgment to conform to § 6-5-543(b), Ala.Code 1975: (b) Where the damages assessed against a defendant or defendants by the trier of fact include an award of future damages, the trial court shall comply with the following in rendering its judgment in the case: (1) Judgment shall be entered against the defendants for all past damages and punitive damages assessed against the defendants by the trier of fact; (2)a. If the award of future damages assessed by the trier of fact is $150,000 or less, the trial court shall enter judgment against the defendants for the amount of such future damages. b. If the award of future damages assessed by the trier of fact is greater than $150,000, the trial court shall (i) enter judgment against the defendants for $150,000 of such future damages and (ii) enter judgment requiring the defendants to pay the balance of such future damages in excess of $150,000 by periodic payments over a period of years not to exceed such period of years as, according to the evidence, offered during the trial of the case, such future damages may be incurred. In entering a judgment against the defendants ordering the payment of future damages by periodic payments the trial court shall make a specific finding as to the dollar amount of periodic payments which will compensate the judgment creditor for such future damages as the same may be incurred, as determined from the evidence offered during the trial of the case. If, or to the extent that, the evidence offered at trial did not indicate the approximate time or time-frame within which the future damages would be incurred, the trial court, for the purpose of determining the amount of periodic payments and the interval between such payments, shall conclusively presume that such damages will be incurred throughout the life expectancy of the judgment creditor on an equal monthly basis. The judgment ordering payment of future damages by periodic payments shall specify the recipient or recipients of the payments, the dollar amounts of the payments, the interval between payments, and the number of payments or the period of time over which payments shall be made. The total amount of all such periodic payments when added to the sum of $150,000 and when added to that portion of the future damages award utilized for the payment of a portion of the attorney's fees owed by the judgment creditor shall not exceed the total amount of future damages contained in the verdict. The word shall in § 6-5-543(b) connotes a mandatory duty for a trial court to order the payment of future damages in excess of $150,000 in periodic payments. See Prince v. Hunter, 388 So.2d 546 (Ala.1980). The trial court did not comply with the requirements of § 6-5-543(b). Rather, the trial court entered a judgment on the jury's award of $500,000 in past damages and $2,000,000 in future damages and erroneously denied the motion of Dr. Vaughan and the Group to amend the judgment to comply with the requirements of § 6-5-543(b). Accordingly, we affirm that portion of the judgment of the trial court entered in favor of Oliver for $500,000 in past damages and reverse that portion of the judgment entered in favor of Oliver for $2,000,000 for future damages. We remand this case for the trial court to comply with the requirements of § 6-5-543(b). Additionally, we instruct the trial court to require that Dr. Vaughan and the Group [a]s a condition to authorizing periodic payments for future damages ... [,] either post security sufficient to assure full payment of such damages, or provide evidence [that they] have insurance sufficient to pay the periodic payments as the same become due and that the insurance company which is obligated to pay the judgment holds a certificate of authority in this state, or purchase an annuity of sufficient value to pay the future damages. § 6-5-543(c). Further, we instruct the trial court to determine what portion of the award of future damages in excess of $150,000 is owed to the attorney under contract and... enter judgment for the remainder of the award of future damages in excess of $150,000 as provided in subsection (c)(2)b. As to that portion of the award of future damages in excess of $150,000 which is owed to [Oliver's] attorney, that portion shall be reduced to present value by the court, utilizing the life expectancy of the judgment creditor, and judgment shall be entered against [Dr. Vaughan and the Group] for the reduced amount. § 6-5-543(d). AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS. MOORE, C.J., and HOUSTON, BROWN, HARWOOD, WOODALL, and STUART, JJ., concur. SEE, J., concurs in the result as to Part II.A.; and concurs otherwise. LYONS, J., concurs in the result as to Part I; and concurs otherwise.