Supreme Court of Florida

In a workers' compensation case, a constitutional challenge to the statute governing awards of attorney fees in such cases is decided on non-constitutional grounds, fee award is quashed and case remanded where: 1) under the plain language of the relevant statute, a claimant entitled to recover fees is entitled to recover a "reasonable attorney's fee," a term not defined by the statute; and 2) the court's prior decision in Lee Eng'g and Constr. Co. v. Fellows, 209 So. 2d 454, 458 (Fla. 1968) was therefore the controlling law on determination of such fees.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/23/2008
• Published 10/23/2008

Judges

• WELLS, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of Florida

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Richard A. Sicking, Coral Gables, FL, Brian O. Sutter, Port Charlotte, FL, and Bill McCabe of Shepherd, McCabe and Cooley, Longwood, FL, for Petitioner., L. Barry Keyfetz, Miami, FL, on behalf of the Florida Justice Association;  Barbara B. Wagner of Wagenheim and Wagner, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, FL, on behalf of Florida Workers' Advocates;  Richard A. Sicking, Coral Gables, FL, on behalf of Florida Professional Firefighters, Inc. and International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO;  Susan W. Fox of Fox and Loquasto, P.A., Tampa, FL, and Richard W. Ervin, III and Wendy S. Loquasto of Fox and Loquasto, P.A., Tallahassee, FL, on behalf of Voices, Inc.;  Todd J. Sanders and Geoffrey Bichler of Bichler and Kelley, P.A., Winter Park, FL, on behalf of Florida Police Benevolent Association;  Roy D. Wasson of Wasson and Associates, Chartered, Miami, FL, on behalf of David Singleton;  George D. Gabel, Jr. and Carol M. Folsom of Holland and Knight, Jacksonville, FL, on behalf of Florida Hospitality Mutual Insurance Company;  George N. Meros, Jr. and Andy V. Bardos of Gray Robinson, P.A., Tallahassee, FL, on behalf of Florida Justice Reform Institute, Florida A.G.C. Council, Inc., Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, Inc., the Florida Retail Federation, the National Federation of Independent Business Legal Foundation, Florida Transportation Builders Association, Inc., the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce;  William H. Rogner of Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox, Waranch, and Westcott, P.A., Winter Park, FL, on behalf of Zenith Insurance Company;  Scott B. Miller of Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox, Waranch, and Westcott, P.A., Winter Park, FL, on behalf of Florida Association of Self Insurance (FASI);  Marcia K. Lippincott of Marcia K. Lippincott, P.A., Lake Mary, FL, on behalf of Seminole County School Board and Preferred Governmental Claims Solutions, Inc.;  Rayford H. Taylor of Stiles, Taylor and Grace, P.A., Atlanta, GA, Tamela Perdue of Stiles, Taylor and Grace, P.A., Tallahassee, FL, on behalf of Associated Industries of Florida, Inc., and Rayford H. Taylor of Stiles, Taylor and Grace, P.A., Atlanta, GA, Mary Ann Stiles of Stiles, Taylor and Grace, P.A., Tampa, FL, and Thomas A. Koval, Sarasota, FL, on behalf of Florida Insurance Council;  and Mark L. Zientz of Mark L. Zientz, P.A., Miami, FL, on behalf of NPAC Worker's Compensation Section of The Florida Bar, as Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Cheryl L. Wilke of Hinshaw and Culbertson, LLP, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and John R. Darin, II of Znosko and Reas, Longwood, FL, for Respondent.