Grand Prairie Jury Issues Defense Verdict in Left-Turn Crash

On December 29, 2014, a collision occurred in Grand Prairie, Texas, when a driver in the left lane of East Jefferson Street was struck by a vehicle making a left turn from the right lane. The plaintiff, a pool plumber's assistant, claimed he sustained injuries to his back, head, and neck, including cervical and lumbar sprains and strains, and ultimately alleged L4-5 and L5-S1 intervertebral disc protrusions causing radiating pain. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit, alleging the defendant was negligent in the operation of his vehicle.

The defendant acknowledged being at fault for the collision but contended he was unfamiliar with the street, believed it was a one-way street, and did not realize the left lane was not an oncoming lane due to a lack of signage. The defendant argued he made an honest mistake and was not negligent. The plaintiff underwent chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and received lumbar trigger point and facet injections. A pain management doctor later recommended a lumbar rhizotomy.

Defense counsel argued that any injuries resolved with the initial physical therapy, pointing to records indicating low pain levels and normal ranges of motion after the final session. The defense also questioned the documentation of radicular pain and causation, noting the plaintiff was involved in a subsequent hit-and-run accident on November 26, 2015, after which he again claimed lower back injuries and sought treatment from the same chiropractor. The defense also highlighted the pain management doctor's acknowledgment under cross-examination that most of his patients were accident-related and that he had been reprimanded by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners for poor record-keeping related to radiculopathy. After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for 35 hours before rendering a defense verdict, finding the defendant was not liable for the accident.