Amarillo Court Awards $8.9 Million in Livestock Negligence
A truck carrying passengers rolled over after striking two cows that had escaped onto a dark road. The driver's son and a passerby rescued the injured passenger before the truck caught fire. The passenger sustained severe injuries, including fractures and a brain injury, and required multiple surgeries. He testified to permanent disability and ongoing pain.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $8,900,000
- County
- Dallas County, TX
- Resolved
- 2016
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Cervical Disc Injury
- Accident Type
- Other
- Case Type
- Head, Concussion, Post-concussion Syndrome
Case Overview
On August 3, 2011, a rollover accident occurred on north Dovell Road outside Amarillo when a truck, carrying the plaintiff as a front-seat passenger along with his son and grandchildren, encountered five or six cows in the road. The truck struck two cows, rolled eight times, and caught fire. The plaintiff, a self-employed carpenter, was extracted by his son and a passerby before the truck exploded. The plaintiff sustained multiple severe injuries, including a skull fracture, brain swelling, numerous fractures across his arm, shoulder, and spine, and a brachial plexus injury. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for 20 days and underwent multiple surgeries, including spinal stabilization and fracture repairs.
The cows had escaped from a nearby 140-acre property owned by the defendant, a farm owner. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit, alleging negligence in failing to secure the livestock. Other parties initially named were later dismissed. The plaintiff argued the accident occurred at night on a dark road during a severe drought, which prompted cows to wander for water. A fence expert testified that the property owner violated the county's closed-range policy by using a single-strand hotwire fence instead of proper fencing. Evidence also indicated a similar accident involving wandering cows had occurred days prior. The plaintiff sought compensation for over $1 million in medical expenses, lost earnings, and significant damages for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and disfigurement, arguing permanent disability.
The defendant denied liability, maintaining that an open-range policy existed in the county, which would permit cows to wander freely. Despite this defense, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding $8.9 million. The outcome likely reflected the court's finding that the defendant was negligent in maintaining adequate fencing and complying with local livestock regulations, which directly contributed to the plaintiff's severe injuries.
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