Texas Jury Awards $1,800,000 in Fatal Car Crash

A motor vehicle accident case involved claims of severe permanent injuries. Expert witnesses were prepared to testify on vocational economics, rehabilitation counseling, disability assessment, labor economics, lost wages, surgery, biomechanics, injury biomechanics, psychology, and neuropsychology. Further details regarding the incident, the specific legal claims, the arguments presented by each side, or the resolution of the case were not available.

A motor vehicle negligence case arose from a rear-end collision on the New Jersey Turnpike. A plaintiff, operating his personal vehicle, was slowing for traffic when the defendant, driving a box truck, struck his vehicle. The plaintiff contended the impact was severe, causing his seat to break. The plaintiff alleged suffering multiple injuries, including lumbar and cervical herniations requiring fusion surgeries, a tear of the dominant rotator cuff necessitating arthroscopic surgery, and a knee tear also requiring arthroscopic surgery. The plaintiff, a commercial truck driver, asserted these injuries rendered him unable to continue his profession after several years, despite working out of economic necessity following the accident. He sought approximately $300,000 for past and future lost wages and estimated $1,500,000 for a life care plan covering future therapies, home care, medication, and physician visits. The defendant argued that the plaintiff's recovery was better than claimed and that the asserted economic damages should be rejected. The parties resolved the matter through a settlement of $2,900,000 prior to trial.

In December 2019, the plaintiff, a preschool teacher, was driving in Fair Lawn when a commercial truck rear-ended her vehicle. The plaintiff subsequently sued the truck driver and his employer, alleging negligence in the vehicle's operation. Prior to trial, the employer's primary insurance policy was tendered, and the parties agreed to cap total damages at $2 million. The defense stipulated to liability, and the case proceeded to trial solely on the issues of causation and damages. The plaintiff claimed neck and back injuries, including disc protrusions and a bulge, which required extensive treatment. This included chiropractic care, epidural injections, and ultimately a discectomy and fusion surgery. The plaintiff's expert in orthopedic surgery testified that the plaintiff suffered a permanent lumbar spine injury as a result of the accident, requiring future medical care. The plaintiff also described significant impacts on her daily life, household chores, and ability to engage in physical activities with her children, stating she moved to a warmer climate for comfort and turned down job opportunities due to pain from commutes. She sought to recover past and future medical costs, future lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. Her spouse also sought damages for loss of consortium. The defense presented expert testimony from a radiologist and an orthopedic surgeon. The radiologist opined that the plaintiff's injuries and treatment were unrelated to the accident, asserting that imaging studies showed no evidence of traumatic injury. The orthopedic surgeon testified that the plaintiff did not suffer a permanent injury. After a five-day trial, the jury found that the truck driver's negligence was a factual cause of the plaintiff's injury. The jury awarded the plaintiff $3,011,542, which was then reduced to $2 million in accordance with the parties' pre-trial agreement to cap damages.