Texas Jury Awards $1,400,000 in Rear-End Collision

On January 4, 2013, a pick-up truck towing a trailer was involved in a rear-end collision with an armored vehicle on a highway. The plaintiff, driving the pick-up, sustained injuries to their back and knee. The armored vehicle was operated by a defendant driver and owned by a defendant employer. The plaintiff filed a petition against the defendants in the District Court for Harris County, Texas, on September 27, 2015. The lawsuit alleged that the defendant driver's negligence caused the accident and the plaintiff's injuries. The defendants countered, claiming the plaintiff was negligent by veering into the armored vehicle's lane of travel. Following a trial, a jury on December 9, 2015, found the defendant driver negligent and determined that the plaintiff was not negligent. A judgment was entered on December 30, 2015, awarding the plaintiff $92,000 for past medical expenses, $40,000 for past lost earnings, and $160,000 for past pain and suffering, totaling $292,000. An appellate court later affirmed the trial court's decision.

On March 13, 2012, a plaintiff was injured in a multi-vehicle collision while driving in slow traffic near Highway 59 in Houston, Texas. The defendant driver reportedly swerved into the plaintiff's lane, striking a vehicle behind the plaintiff, which then collided with the rear of the plaintiff's slowing car. The plaintiff subsequently filed a vehicular negligence action. The plaintiff alleged the defendant was negligent in failing to maintain a proper lookout, operating a vehicle unsafely, and failing to apply brakes in a timely manner, which led to injuries including to the chest, neck, back, and a partial to full thickness tear of the right rotator cuff. The defendant denied all allegations of negligence and injury. Following the proceedings, the court found the defendant negligent and that this negligence caused harm to the plaintiff. The plaintiff was awarded $10,000 for past pain and suffering, $10,000 for past disfigurement, and $10,003 for past medical expenses, totaling $30,003.

A plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging negligence after a defendant's vehicle struck the plaintiff's automobile, causing the rear window to shatter. The plaintiff claimed to suffer neck and back injuries, diagnosed as cervical and lumbar sprain/strain, and reported ongoing back spasms and pain despite physical therapy. The defendant denied the negligence allegations, disputed liability, and challenged the nature, extent, and damages associated with the plaintiff's alleged injuries. The case proceeded to trial in Texas. Following deliberations, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding $16,500 in damages.

An individual filed a negligence lawsuit following a rear-end collision that occurred on October 25, 2011, in Houston, Texas. The plaintiff, a 36-year-old mechanic, was stopped at the intersection of Wallisville Road and Main Street, waiting to make a left turn, when the defendant's vehicle struck the rear of the plaintiff's car. The plaintiff alleged the defendant was negligent by failing to control speed, maintain a proper lookout, and properly apply brakes. The plaintiff claimed the collision caused injuries to his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, including disc bulges and a disc protrusion. The defendant denied all allegations of negligence and injury, asserting that the plaintiff's own comparative or contributory negligence caused the accident. A jury found the defendant negligent and awarded the plaintiff $9,020 in compensatory damages.