The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title XLV
TORTS

Chapter 768
NEGLIGENCE

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 768.26

768.26 Litigation expenses.—Attorneys’ fees and other expenses of litigation shall be paid by the personal representative and deducted from the awards to the survivors and the estate in proportion to the amounts awarded to them, but expenses incurred for the benefit of a particular survivor or the estate shall be paid from their awards.

History.—s. 1, ch. 72-35.

F.S. 768.26 on Google Scholar

F.S. 768.26 on Casetext

Amendments to 768.26

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 768.26

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 768.26.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases from cite.case.law:

HARRIS, v. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY,, 383 F. Supp. 3d 1315 (M.D. Fla. 2019)

. . . Sections 768.16 - 768.26 are remedial and shall be liberally construed."). . . .

ANDERSON, v. D. SNYDER,, 389 F. Supp. 3d 1082 (S.D. Fla. 2019)

. . . . § 768.16 - 768.26. (DE 31 ¶¶ 6-17). . . . Stat. § 768.16 - 768.26. (DE 31 ¶¶ 6-17). . . .

DOMINO S PIZZA, LLC, v. WIEDERHOLD, E., 248 So. 3d 212 (Fla. App. Ct. 2018)

. . . Sections 768.16 - 768.26 are remedial and shall be liberally construed." . . .

K. SHARBAUGH, v. C. BEAUDRY,, 267 F. Supp. 3d 1326 (N.D. Fla. 2017)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26, which does not permit recovery for a decedent’s pre-death pain and suffering. . . . Stat. §§ 768.16-768.26; see also Capone v. . . .

HEISTON, v. SCHWARTZ ZONAS, LLP,, 221 So. 3d 1268 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2017)

. . . With regard to the payment of “Litigation Expenses,” section 768.26 of the Act provides for the payment . . . Later, in the Wagner case, the court held that section 768.26 of the Act applies to instances where a . . .

GOHEAGAN, v. PERKINS, 197 So. 3d 112 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2016)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26, Fla. Stat. (2014). . . .

REIDER, v. PHILIP MORRIS USA, INC., 793 F.3d 1254 (11th Cir. 2015)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26, which in relevant part allows a decedent’s surviving spouse to recover for the “loss . . .

EH, a MOORE HH, a W. v. CITY OF MIRAMAR, a, 111 F. Supp. 3d 1307 (S.D. Fla. 2015)

. . . Plaintiffs have alleged both a § 1983 claim and a Florida Wrongful Death action pursuant to 768.16-768.26 . . .

EXPOSITO, v. PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST OF MIAMI- DADE COUNTY,, 141 So. 3d 663 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2014)

. . . Specific compliance with section 768.26(6) was not separately alleged, although Ms. . . . Exposito’s claims were barred by the statute of limitations; that she failed to comply with section 768.26 . . . “within three years of the incident;” that the doctors could not be personally liable under section 768.26 . . .

SMITH, Jr. v. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO. U. S. A. Co. LLC f k a f k a Co. f k a, 103 So. 3d 955 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2012)

. . . Sections 768.16-768.26 [the Florida Wrongful Death Act] are remedial and shall be liberally construed . . .

GOHEAGAN, v. AMERICAN VEHICLE INSURANCE COMPANY, a, 107 So. 3d 433 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2012)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26, Fla. Stat. (2007). . . . .

KADLECIK, v. Y. HAIM, M. D., 79 So. 3d 892 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2012)

. . . liability to a prevailing defendant in a wrongful death action is contrary to the language of section 768.26 . . . Cases construing section 768.26, Florida Statutes generally address the question of fees due to the personal . . . As the Catapane court noted, “Section 768.26 provides for payment of counsel selected by the personal . . .

STARLING, v. R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY,, 845 F. Supp. 2d 1215 (M.D. Fla. 2011)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26. . . . Stat. §§ 768.16-768.26. . . . Stat. §§ 768.16-768.26. . . . Stat. §§ 768.16-768.26 (2011) ("Florida's Wrongful Death Act” or "Wrongful Death Act” or "the Act”). . . .

WAGNER, VAUGHAN, McLAUGHLIN BRENNAN, P. A. v. KENNEDY LAW GROUP,, 64 So. 3d 1187 (Fla. 2011)

. . . FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY The underlying case involves the application of section 768.26, Florida . . . In a footnote in Perez, the Third District concluded that section 768.26 was not applicable because “ . . . We granted review on the basis of this conflict as to the applicability of section 768.26. . . . ANALYSIS The Florida Wrongful Death Act (the Act), which encompasses sections 768.16 to 768.26 of the . . . Stat. (2005) (“Sections 768.16-768.26 are remedial and shall be liberally construed.”). . . .

SMITH, v. BEASLEY,, 775 F. Supp. 2d 1344 (M.D. Fla. 2011)

. . . against Defendants, PFSF and CPCI, pursuant to the Florida Wrongful Death Act (“FWDA”), Sections 768.16-768.26 . . .

GREENFIELD, M. D. v. DANIELS, St. s v., 51 So. 3d 421 (Fla. 2010)

. . . statutes at issue are found in the “Florida Wrongful Death Act,” which is codified in sections 768.16-768.26 . . . Sections 768.16-768.26 are remedial and shall be liberally construed. § 768.17, Fla. Stat. (2005). . . .

LAIZURE, v. AVANTE AT LEESBURG, INC. a k a, 44 So. 3d 1254 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2010)

. . . because it is an independent cause of action based on the Florida Wrongful Death Act, sections 768.16-768.26 . . .

SMITH v. RAINEY,, 747 F. Supp. 2d 1327 (M.D. Fla. 2010)

. . . . § 768.26 is likewise rejected. See Amended Complaint, ¶ 12. . . . Stat. § 768.26, and not in their individual capacity. (Dkt. 53, p. 20). . . .

BRADLEY, E. Jr. v. SEBELIUS, U. S., 621 F.3d 1330 (11th Cir. 2010)

. . . . §§ 768.16 to 768.26 (2003). . . .

In STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES- REPORT NO. In No. In No. In No. In No. s In No. In No. In No. In No., 35 So. 3d 666 (Fla. 2010)

. . . of this form depends upon determination of the survivors under the Wrongful Death Act, F.S. 768.16-768.26 . . .

ESTATE OF McCALL, v. UNITED STATES, 663 F. Supp. 2d 1276 (N.D. Fla. 2009)

. . . . §§ 768.10-768.26, permits survivors to recover the value of lost support and services from the date . . .

DANIELS, v. GREENFIELD, M. D. M. D. P. A. St. s,, 15 So. 3d 908 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2009)

. . . Florida’s Wrongful Death Act is codified in sections 768.16-768.26, Florida Statutes. . . .

WAGNER, VAUGHN, McLAUGHLIN BRENNAN, P. A. v. KENNEDY LAW GROUP,, 987 So. 2d 741 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2008)

. . . The fee provision at issue is set forth in section 768.26, Florida Statutes (2005). . . . The Wagner firm argues that the “Litigation expenses” heading of section 768.26 limits its application . . . Pre-suit settlement negotiations are an important part of wrongful death litigation, and section 768.26 . . . As the Fourth District explained, section 768.26 did not apply in Perez because the parents negotiated . . . Thus, there is no question that section 768.26 applies to provide for fees incurred even in cases that . . .

In PAN AMERICAN HOSPITAL CORPORATION, 364 B.R. 839 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 2007)

. . . . §§ 768.16 — 768.26), a personal representative is the successor in interest to the decedent and has . . .

GARCES, Co- M. v. MONTANO, Co- P. A., 947 So. 2d 499 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2006)

. . . apportion the costs among all the plaintiffs in proportion to the amounts awarded to them, under section 768.26 . . . Section 768.26 unequivocally states that litigation expenses shall be “deducted from the awards to the . . . In this case, there were no “expenses incurred for the benefit of a particular survivor,” § 768.26, Fla . . .

ENTERPRISE LEASING COMPANY, v. SOSA,, 907 So. 2d 1239 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005)

. . . The Wrongful Death Act, Sections 768.16-768.26, Florida Statutes (2000), contains detailed provisions . . .

COSTELLO, Co- v. DAVIS, Co- F. P. A., 890 So. 2d 1179 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2004)

. . . . § 768.26, Fla. Stat. (2001); Wiggins v. Estate of Wright, 850 So.2d 444 (Fla.2003); Catapane v. . . .

HICKS, v. M. STRAUB,, 377 F.3d 538 (6th Cir. 2004)

. . . . § 768.26, which permits the prosecution to use a prior witness’ testimony from a preliminary examination . . .

BELLSOUTH TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. v. MEEKS,, 863 So. 2d 287 (Fla. 2003)

. . . Sections 768.16-768.26 are remedial and shall be liberally construed. § 768.17, Fla. . . .

WIGGINS, v. ESTATE OF WRIGHT,, 850 So. 2d 444 (Fla. 2003)

. . . We believe that is the intent of section 768.26, Florida Statutes: Attorneys’ fees and other expenses . . .

WALKER, v. BOZEMAN, 243 F. Supp. 2d 1298 (N.D. Fla. 2003)

. . . See § 768.26, Fla. . . .

M. GONZALEZ- JIMENEZ DE RUIZ, v. UNITED STATES, 231 F. Supp. 2d 1187 (M.D. Fla. 2002)

. . . that Plaintiffs’ claims are controlled by Florida’s Wrongful Death Act, Florida Statutes, §§ 768.16-768.26 . . .

C. THOMPSON, C. v. K. HODSON, M. D. K. M. D. P. A. K. M. D. v. C. C. K. M. D. v., 825 So. 2d 941 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2002)

. . . Hodson asserts that section 768.26, Florida Statutes, mandates payment of his judgment for fees and costs . . . Section 768.26 states: § 768.26, Fla. Stat. (1993). . . . Cases construing section 768.26, Florida Statutes generally address the question of fees due to the personal . . . As the Catapane court noted, “Section 768.26 provides for payment of counsel selected by the personal . . . Section 768.26 does not provide that authority. . . . .” § 768.26, Fla. Stat. (1993). See Wiggins v. . . . constitute claims for “[a]ttorneys’ fees and other expenses of litigation,” within the meaning of section 768.26 . . .

WIGGINS, v. ESTATE OF WRIGHT,, 786 So. 2d 1247 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2001)

. . . We believe that is the intent of section 768.26, Florida Statutes: Attorneys’ fees and other expenses . . .

In ESTATE OF C. CATAPANE, C. P. A. C. v. By, 759 So. 2d 9 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000)

. . . Any different result would render the language of section 768.26 meaningless. . . . Section 768.26 provides for payment of counsel selected by the personal representative: Attorney’s fees . . .

PEREZ, Co- v. GEORGE, HARTZ, LUNDEEN, FLAGG FULMER,, 662 So. 2d 361 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1995)

. . . controlling rule of the Florida Bar, or caselaw, the court awarded the fees on the basis of section 768.26 . . . Section 768.26, proves that: ... attorneys’ fees and other expenses of litigation shall be paid by the . . . For the same reason we find that section 768.26, Florida Statutes does not apply. . . .

BROWN, v. F. SEEBACH III,, 763 F. Supp. 574 (S.D. Fla. 1991)

. . . . § 768.26. Attorneys’ fees and costs are deducted from the awards to the survivors and the estate. . . .

ADAMS, v. MONTGOMERY, SEARCY DENNEY, P. A. T. P. A., 555 So. 2d 957 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1990)

. . . Ap-pellees argued for fees and costs under Section 768.26, Florida Statutes (1987) and the “common fund . . .

H. POOLE, v. TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, MEDICAL CENTER, INC. a, 520 So. 2d 627 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1988)

. . . Poole filed a complaint on January 20, 1984, under the wrongful death (Sections 768.16-768.26, Florida . . .

MEEKER a k a v. R. E. ADDISON a, 586 F. Supp. 216 (S.D. Fla. 1983)

. . . arises from a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C., s. 1983, or similar federal statute, the limits in s. 768.26 . . . If the civil action arises under s. 768.26 [768.28] the monetary limitation of that section apply [sic . . .

B. SHINHOLSTER, v. GRAHAM,, 527 F. Supp. 1318 (N.D. Fla. 1981)

. . . arises from a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C., s. 1983, or similar federal statute, the limits in s. 768.26 . . . If the civil action arises under s. 768.26 [768.28], the monetary limitation of that section apply [sic . . .

C. TOUCHETTE, v. BOULD U. S. CONCRETE PIPE COMPANY, a v. BOULD HARTFORD ACCIDENT INDEMNITY COMPANY, v. BOULD C. TOUCHETTE v. BOULD, 324 So. 2d 707 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1975)

. . . . §§ 768.16-768.26 (1973) being inapplicable. See, McKibben v. Mallory, 293 So.2d 48 (Fla.1974). . . . .

T. HAVEY, v. A. KROPP,, 458 F.2d 1054 (6th Cir. 1972)

. . . . § 768.26 (1968), Mich.Stat.Ann. § 28.1049 (1954), provides: “Testimony taken at an examination, preliminary . . .

v., 28 T.C. 1305 (T.C. 1957)

. . . Testjens, Judge: The Commissioner determined deficiencies in income tax in the amounts of $768.26, $583.24 . . .