Garland, Texas Jury Awards $50,049.60 in Rear-End Collision

On April 13, 2018, a multi-vehicle rear-end collision occurred on Shiloh Road in Garland, Texas. A defendant driver in a Ford Mustang rear-ended a compact car, which then struck a sedan. The sedan, in turn, was pushed into a truck ahead of it. The intervenor plaintiff, a substitute teacher, was driving the compact car, which sustained significant rear-end damage. The intervenor plaintiff claimed injuries to her neck and back.

Initially, the driver of the sedan filed a lawsuit against the Mustang driver, alleging negligence in vehicle operation. The driver of the compact car intervened as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The sedan driver later settled her claims for an undisclosed amount, and the case proceeded on the intervenor plaintiff's claims. The defendant stipulated to liability for the collision.

The intervenor plaintiff claimed she suffered neck and lower back sprains and strains, or alternatively, that the accident aggravated pre-existing lower back conditions. She sought medical treatment, including chiropractic care, physical therapy, and epidural steroid injections from an osteopath. The plaintiff's counsel presented video deposition testimony from a pain management doctor, initially retained by the defense, who stated that all treatments were medically necessary, the accident either caused the injuries or aggravated prior conditions, and future flare-ups were likely. The defense disputed the reasonableness and necessity of the medical bills and argued the plaintiff had been asymptomatic for three years prior to trial.

A jury determined the intervenor plaintiff's damages totaled $50,049.60. The award included $30,049.60 for past medical expenses, $10,000 for future medical expenses, and $10,000 for past physical pain and suffering.