Opinion
Nos. 2D98-4839, 2D99-215.
Opinion filed January 12, 2000.
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County; Gasper J. Ficarrotta, Judge.
Frank H. Gassler, Hala A. Sandridge, and Charles Tyler Cone of Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal and Banker, P.A., Tampa, for Appellant/Cross-Appellee.
Robert Fraser and Daniel F. Pilka of Pilka Associates, P.A., Brandon, for Appellees/Cross-Appellants.
Amerace Corporation, the defendant in a personal injury action, appeals from a final judgment entered against it after a jury trial. The Stallings, the plaintiffs in that action, cross-appeal from the trial court's refusal to award prejudgment interest from the date of the jury verdict to the date of the entry of the final judgment. We affirm the final judgment in all respects except the issue of prejudgment interest. Once a jury has fixed the amount of a plaintiff's damage by its verdict, the plaintiff is entitled to interest on that amount, and the interest is to be included in the final judgment. See Palm Beach County Sch. Bd. v. Montgomery, 641 So.2d 183 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994); Leigh M. Fisher, P.A. v. Ackerman, 24 Fla. L. Weekly D2563 (Fla. 2d DCA Nov. 12, 1999).
We, therefore, remand to the trial court for entry of an award of prejudgment interest.
NORTHCUTT and SALCINES, JJ., Concur.