Harris County Jury Awards $5,500 in Rear-End Collision
One driver was traveling northbound on a road when another driver rear-ended her, pushing her vehicle into the one in front. The injured driver claimed injuries to her back and neck, including disc issues and spinal cord indentation. The other driver admitted to adjusting his air conditioner before the collision. The defense argued the impact was minor and questioned the extent of the injuries given a prior accident and the chosen treatment methods.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $5,500
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2019
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Cervical Disc Injury
- Accident Type
- Rear-end
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence
Case Overview
On September 13, 2016, a rear-end collision occurred on Fairbanks North Houston Road in Houston, Texas. A plaintiff, driving an SUV, was struck by a defendant operating a sedan, pushing the plaintiff's vehicle into an SUV ahead in heavy traffic. The plaintiff subsequently sued the defendant, alleging negligence in the operation of the defendant's vehicle.
The plaintiff testified that she was stopped or coming to a stop when the collision occurred and claimed to have suffered injuries including cervical retrolisthesis, a C5-6 intervertebral disc protrusion, and cervical and lumbar sprains and strains. She underwent chiropractic manipulation and physical therapy. The defendant testified that he had looked down to adjust his air conditioner and could not stop in time after looking up to see the plaintiff's stopped vehicle. The defense argued the incident was a mere accident, not negligence, and contended the impact was minor despite the defendant's airbags deploying. The defense also highlighted that the plaintiff had sustained similar neck and back injuries in a prior accident less than a year before, and questioned the plaintiff's treatment choices, including not consulting a primary care doctor.
After a two-day trial, a Harris County jury deliberated for two hours before finding the defendant negligent and awarding the plaintiff $5,500. Jurors later indicated concerns that no medical doctor had approved the plaintiff's chiropractic treatment and that one of the chiropractor's bills suggested manipulations occurred before X-rays were taken.
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