The winning party on a lawsuit is entitled to attorney fees from the losing party, even if the fees were already paid by a third party, the Court of Appeal ruled Sept. 8.
The losing party is often required to pay for the victor’s attorney fees after a lawsuit ends. In this case, Riverside Superior Court mistakenly ruled that the loser, Cell-Crete Corp., would not have to pay for Federal Insurance Co.’s fees, because a third party, Granite Construction Co., paid for Federal’s legal defense under an agreement between the two parties.
The Court of Appeal relied on precedent established by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, and the 1943
