Harris County Jury Awards $61,832 in Sideswipe Collision
One driver was traveling in the left lane of a road when another driver in the right lane sideswiped her vehicle. The injured driver claimed neck and back injuries, including a sprain, aggravation of a pre-existing spinal condition, and a herniated disc. She underwent emergency room treatment, physical therapy, and received injections. The defense disputed the cause of the injuries, highlighting inconsistencies in medical records and a prior fall.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $61,832
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2018
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Cervical Disc Injury
- Accident Type
- Sideswipe
- Case Type
- Sprain, Cervical, Soft Tissue
Case Overview
On March 1, 2014, a two-vehicle collision occurred in Harris County when the defendant driver sideswiped the plaintiff's vehicle on South Post Oak Road. There was no police report for the incident. The plaintiff subsequently filed a lawsuit, alleging the defendant was negligent in failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to maintain a single lane, and changing lanes unsafely. The defendant stipulated to liability.
The plaintiff claimed neck and back injuries from the collision, including a neck sprain, aggravation of pre-existing spinal stenosis, and a herniated disc at L4-5. The plaintiff sought treatment at an emergency room, followed by physical therapy, and later consulted an orthopedic surgeon and a pain management specialist, undergoing two lumbar epidural steroid injections. A treating doctor testified that the accident caused the injuries and that the treatment was medically necessary. The plaintiff sought $26,332 for past medical expenses, along with damages for past and future physical pain and impairment, totaling $84,470.
The defense disputed the causation of the plaintiff's injuries, emphasizing the plaintiff's referral to a chiropractor by an attorney, gaps in treatment, inconsistencies in medical records, and minor property damage to the vehicles. The defense also argued that a prior fall, which occurred four months before the collision, was the cause of the plaintiff's back injury, citing an emergency room visit a month after the wreck where back pain was attributed to the fall without mention of the vehicle collision. Defense counsel asked the jury to award only the costs for the initial emergency room visit.
After deliberation, a Harris County jury awarded the plaintiff $61,832 in damages.
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