Texas Jury Concludes Semi-Truck Accident With Traumatic Brain Injury

A personal injury case arose from a motor vehicle accident that allegedly resulted in a neck injury, described as a minor collision with soft tissue injuries. The plaintiff presented expert testimony from specialists in vocational economic analysis, epidemiology, neurology, and nursing, addressing potential injury causation, treatment needs, and economic impact. The defendant's expert provided testimony in surgery and biomechanics, potentially disputing the mechanism and severity of the alleged injury. Few additional details about the incident, specific legal claims, or the case's final resolution were available from the record.

In September 2012, a 73-year-old driver lost control of her 2007 Mini-Cooper on U.S. 50 in Martin County, near Halbert Township. The vehicle veered into a ditch and rolled over multiple times, coming to rest upside down. The driver sustained a C6-7 cervical fracture and a permanent C5-T1 spinal injury, resulting in partial quadriplegia and medical bills exceeding $562,000. She reported either falling asleep or swerving to avoid an animal as the cause of the initial loss of control. The plaintiff subsequently sued the vehicle manufacturer, alleging negligent design due to the absence of a roll-activated side curtain airbag. She contended this design defect led to enhanced injuries that would have been prevented with the airbag, specifically during the head strike inside the vehicle during the roll. Expert testimony from design, biomechanics, and accident reconstruction specialists supported her claim. An attorney-prepared paper, based on self-conducted rollover tests, was offered as evidence but was excluded by the court. The defendant argued that the plaintiff's proof was inadequate, asserting that the proposed airbag design would not have altered the injury outcome. Defense experts testified that the plaintiff struck her head on the roof rail. The defense also highlighted that the vehicle met all government safety standards, leading to a jury instruction about a rebuttable presumption of non-negligent design if standards were met. Additionally, the defendant implicated the plaintiff's own comparative fault for losing control of the vehicle. After a six-day trial in federal court, the jury was asked to determine if the Mini-Cooper was negligently designed by lacking a roll-activated side curtain airbag, which then led to an enhanced injury. The jury answered no, concluding deliberations and leading the court to enter a judgment for the defense.

On July 12, 2012, a vehicle driven by the plaintiff-driver, with the plaintiff-passenger, stopped for a traffic light in Noblesville, Indiana. The defendant, driving an SUV, subsequently failed to stop and rear-ended the plaintiffs' vehicle. The plaintiff-driver was transported to the emergency room with complaints of neck and back pain, incurring medical expenses of $80,714, with providers accepting $48,550 as payment. The plaintiff-passenger also reported neck pain, seeking medical care two weeks post-incident, with medical expenses totaling $74,938, reduced to $40,530 by providers. The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit, alleging the defendant's negligence caused the collision and their injuries. The defendant disputed the claims, arguing that most of the plaintiffs' reported injuries were pre-existing. This defense included evidence of the plaintiffs' prior chiropractic treatment for chronic pain. The defendant further contended that the impact was low-speed and too minor to cause compensable injury, presenting testimony from a biomechanics expert. Following a three-day trial in Noblesville, the jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning a verdict in favor of the defendant. The court then entered a judgment for the defense.

On May 9, 2015, a rear-end collision occurred on Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis. The plaintiff, driving northbound, stopped to make a right turn onto 96th Street when the defendant, operating a vehicle directly behind, struck the plaintiff's car. The plaintiff reported immediate neck pain, which later progressed to include ongoing pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper limbs, as well as headaches, tingling, and numbness. The plaintiff's medical expenses totaled $44,502, with providers accepting $24,899 as payment in full. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the defendant, alleging negligence for causing the crash and subsequent injuries. A physical medicine expert opined that the plaintiff sustained a whiplash injury from the incident. The defendant contended that the plaintiff was at fault for stopping abruptly. A defense expert performed a records review, but did not physically examine the plaintiff. The case proceeded to a two-day trial in Indianapolis. The jury assigned 100% fault to the defendant and awarded the plaintiff $2,054 in damages. This amount represented less than 10% of the plaintiff's paid medical expenses. The court entered a judgment reflecting the verdict, which the defendant subsequently satisfied.

A driver and passengers filed a lawsuit following a rear-end collision that occurred in Indianapolis on August 1, 2014. The plaintiff driver had stopped at a red light on Meridian Street when a vehicle operated by the defendant struck the rear of their car. The plaintiff driver incurred $14,580 in medical expenses, and a plaintiff passenger incurred $18,926. The plaintiffs initially sued the defendant driver, also filing an underinsured motorist claim against an insurer, which was later dismissed. Three passengers subsequently settled their claims and were dismissed, leaving the plaintiff driver and one passenger to proceed with their lawsuit. The plaintiffs alleged the defendant was responsible for the collision and their resulting injuries. The defendant disputed both liability and the extent of damages, with both sides presenting expert medical testimony. Following a trial in Indianapolis, a jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs. The jury awarded the plaintiff driver $7,500 and the plaintiff passenger $3,500, for a combined total of $11,000. The court entered a judgment for that amount, which was subsequently satisfied. The jury's awards were less than the plaintiffs' claimed medical expenses.