{ "id": 8358131, "name": "DEBRA ANNE KARP v. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA", "name_abbreviation": "Karp v. University of North Carolina", "decision_date": "1987-12-22", "docket_number": "No. 8710IC475", "first_page": "282", "last_page": "284", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "88 N.C. App. 282" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C. Ct. App.", "id": 14983, "name": "North Carolina Court of Appeals" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291.1", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1983, "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 6-21.1", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1986, "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1983, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "et seq." } ], "opinion_index": -1 }, { "cite": "157 S.E. 2d 378", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1967, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "271 N.C. 702", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8566667 ], "year": 1967, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/271/0702-01" ] }, { "cite": "148 S.E. 2d 548", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1966, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "267 N.C. 545", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8559844 ], "year": 1966, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/267/0545-01" ] }, { "cite": "188 S.E. 2d 551", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1972, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "14 N.C. App. 551", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 8550984 ], "year": 1972, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/14/0551-01" ] }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291.1", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1983, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 6-21.1", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1986, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "year": 1983, "opinion_index": 0 } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 279, "char_count": 4577, "ocr_confidence": 0.803, "pagerank": { "raw": 4.125422814013297e-07, "percentile": 0.9105940153267623 }, "sha256": "e329ebf972e432af2f5f76873be9e7ad612d047aea99112f10d55e5f1bfff523", "simhash": "1:9998074770af5886", "word_count": 733 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T22:20:42.285314+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "Judges JOHNSON and COZORT concur." ], "parties": [ "DEBRA ANNE KARP v. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA" ], "opinions": [ { "text": "WELLS, Judge.\nThe sole question for review is whether the Industrial Commission has jurisdiction to award attorney\u2019s fees pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 6-21.1 for actions brought under the N.C. Tort Claims Act. We hold that it does.\nDefendant contends that G.S. \u00a7 6-21.1 does not extend to the adjudicatory bodies of administrative agencies such as the Industrial Commission and therefore cannot provide the Commission with the authority to award attorney\u2019s fees.\nG.S. \u00a7 6-21.1 provides in pertinent part:\nIn any personal injury or property damage suit, or suit against an insurance company under a policy issued by the defendant insurance company and in which the insured or beneficiary is the plaintiff, upon a finding by the Court that there was an unwarranted refusal by the defendant insurance company to pay the claim which constitutes the basis of such suit, instituted in a court of record, . . . the presiding judge may, in his discretion, allow a reasonable attorney fee to the duly licensed attorney representing the litigant. . . .\nDefendant contends that the Industrial Commission is neither a \u201ccourt\u201d nor does a deputy commissioner constitute a \u201cpresiding judge\u201d within the meaning of G.S. \u00a7 6-21.1 and therefore cannot be brought under the terms of the statute. We disagree.\nDefendant correctly points out that the Tort Claims Act must be strictly construed as it stands in derogation of the common law rule of sovereign immunity, Etheridge v. Graham, Comr. of Agriculture, 14 N.C. App. 551, 188 S.E. 2d 551 (1972) and that the Commission is a court of limited jurisdiction having only those powers conferred upon it by statute. Bryant v. Dougherty, 267 N.C. 545, 148 S.E. 2d 548 (1966). However, defendant\u2019s reliance on Bowman v. Chair Co., 271 N.C. 702, 157 S.E. 2d 378 (1967) to support its argument that a deputy commissioner is not a presiding judge is misplaced. The Bowman Court held that \u201cthere was no provision in the Workmen\u2019s Compensation Act for presiding judges\u201d and analyzed the application of G.S. \u00a7 6-21.1 on the basis of the specialized types of cases arising under the Workmen\u2019s Compensation Act. The Bowman Court did not construe N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291 which provides that the Industrial Commission is considered \u201ca court for the purpose of hearing and passing upon tort claims . . .\u201d and N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291.1 (1983) which expressly authorizes the Industrial Commission, upon an order awarding damages \u201cto tax the costs against the loser in the same manner as costs are taxed by the superior court in civil actions.\u201d\nTaken together these statutes make clear that the Industrial Commission has jurisdiction and authority to award attorney\u2019s fees in a Tort Claims Act case. The decision of the Full Commission affirming the deputy commissioner\u2019s award of attorney\u2019s fees to plaintiff is hereby\nAffirmed.\nJudges JOHNSON and COZORT concur.", "type": "majority", "author": "WELLS, Judge." } ], "attorneys": [ "Coleman, Bemholz, Dickerson, Bemholz, Gledhill & Har-grave, by G. Nicholas Herman, for plaintiff-appellee.", "Attorney General Lacy H. Thornburg, by Assistant Attorney General Randy Meares, for defendant-appellant." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "DEBRA ANNE KARP v. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA\nNo. 8710IC475\n(Filed 22 December 1987)\nAttorneys at Law \u00a7 7.5\u2014 Tort Claims Act \u2014 attorney\u2019s fees \u2014 authority of Industrial Commission to award\nThe Industrial Commission has the authority to award attorney\u2019s fees pursuant to N.C.G.S. \u00a7 6-21.1 for actions brought under the N.C. Tort Claims Act; the Industrial Commission is considered a court for the purpose of hearing and passing upon tort claims under N.C.G.S. \u00a7 143-291, and N.C.G.S. \u00a7 143-291.1 expressly authorizes the Industrial Commission to tax costs against the loser in the same manner as costs are taxed in civil actions.\nAPPEAL by defendant from the Opinion and Award of the North Carolina Industrial Commission filed 26 March 1987. Heard in the Court of Appeals 18 November 1987.\nThis appeal arises out of a personal injury action brought under the North Carolina Tort Claims Act, N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291 et seq. (1983) and heard before the Industrial Commission 7 May 1986. After finding in plaintiffs favor by Decision and Order dated 6 June 1986, the deputy commissioner entered an Order dated 25 November 1986 directing defendant to pay attorney\u2019s fees as provided under N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 6-21.1 (1986) and N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 143-291.1 (1983). Defendant appealed the award of attorney\u2019s fees to the Full Commission which by Order dated 26 March 1987 affirmed, with one dissent, the deputy commissioner\u2019s award of attorney\u2019s fees. From this decision, defendant appeals.\nColeman, Bemholz, Dickerson, Bemholz, Gledhill & Har-grave, by G. Nicholas Herman, for plaintiff-appellee.\nAttorney General Lacy H. Thornburg, by Assistant Attorney General Randy Meares, for defendant-appellant." }, "file_name": "0282-01", "first_page_order": 310, "last_page_order": 312 }