Washington Supreme Court: Arbitration awards do not collect pre-judgment interest from the date of the award

Today Washington's Supreme Court ruled that arbitration awards are not 'liquidated' until reduced to judgment and are therefore not subject to pre-judgment interest from the date of award.  In Washington Dep't of Corrections v. Fluor Daniel Inc., Fluor Daniels argued that it was entitled to pre-judgment interest from the date an arbiration award was entered in its favor to the date the award was reduced to judgment.  The Court disagreed, analogizing arbitration awards to jury awards that can be modified prior to being reduced to judgment.  The Court was careful to point out that it did not address whether the underlying damages had been liquidated and subject to pre-judgment interest.

Justice Sanders issued a dissenting opinion.