Fort Worth Jury Finds Negligence in Car Crash, Awards $20,300

A pickup truck driver, then in his 60s, and a passenger were traveling on Interstate 30 in Fort Worth when their vehicle was struck, causing it to hit both the outside and inside retaining walls. The pickup driver sustained a fractured right wrist, a chest wall injury, and lumbar sprains, requiring emergency treatment and follow-up with a hand specialist. The passenger initially claimed back injuries.

The pickup driver and passenger sued the driver of a blue sedan, alleging negligence in operating her vehicle. After an eyewitness suggested a "black vehicle" was involved in the incident, the pickup driver also sued his own insurer for uninsured motorist benefits. The passenger's claims were later nonsuited before trial.

During the trial, the pickup driver testified that the sedan driver caused the collision by attempting an unsafe lane change, pointing to blue paint transfer on his white vehicle. The sedan driver denied making contact with the pickup truck and contended that the "black vehicle" was at fault, claiming it clipped her vehicle. The insurer argued the sedan driver overreacted to the "black vehicle" and was thus negligent. No party accused the pickup driver of fault.

A Fort Worth jury found both the sedan driver and the "black vehicle" driver negligent, attributing 70 percent liability to the sedan driver and 30 percent to the "black vehicle" driver. The jury specifically found that the sedan driver, not the "black vehicle," struck the pickup truck. The pickup driver was awarded $20,300 for past medical expenses, physical impairment, and past and future pain and mental anguish. The sedan driver was held liable for the entire amount, and the pickup driver took nothing against his insurer.