Texas Jury Issues Verdict in Tractor-Trailer Collision

A tractor-trailer, operated by a defendant driver and owned by two defendant trucking companies, rear-ended the plaintiff's motor vehicle. The plaintiff alleged the collision resulted in serious personal injuries, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of income, and incurred medical expenses. The plaintiff filed vehicular liability and breach of contract actions in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The lawsuit named the defendant driver, the two defendant trucking companies, and their insurer, asserting claims of negligence and failure to provide insurance benefits. The plaintiff sought judgment for damages, court costs, and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest. The defendants denied the allegations and asserted affirmative defenses, including the doctrine of sudden emergency, comparative negligence, failure to mitigate damages, and lack of jurisdiction. The parties subsequently reached a settlement agreement. Following the settlement, they filed a joint motion to dismiss the action with prejudice, which the court granted.

On December 17, 2017, a rear-end collision occurred in Gretna, Louisiana, when a defendant's vehicle hydroplaned and struck a pickup truck occupied by a driver and a passenger who were stopped at a red light. The defendant admitted fault for the crash. While the collision resulted in minor damage to the pickup's trailer hitch, the driver characterized the impact as significant. The driver subsequently sought treatment for an L5-S1 disc injury, including epidural steroid injections, and the passenger reported a cervical disc bulge, undergoing a period of pain management. Each plaintiff incurred approximately $40,000 in medical bills. The driver and passenger, as plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against the striking defendant, seeking damages. They also brought an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim against their own insurer. The defense contended that the collision was minor and minimized the severity of the claimed injuries. Evidence presented by the defense noted that the plaintiffs did not seek immediate medical care, having driven several hours to Texas after the incident. A defense orthopedic expert concluded that the passenger sustained only a strain injury and the driver experienced an aggravation of degenerative conditions. Surveillance video depicting the driver white water rafting was also introduced to challenge the extent of the claimed injuries. The case proceeded to a three-day trial in Gretna. During deliberations, the jury requested to review vehicle photos, itemized medical bills, and the claim for car damage. Ultimately, the jury concluded that neither plaintiff sustained injuries as a result of the incident and therefore did not award damages. A judgment was subsequently entered in favor of the defense, closing the case.

A plaintiff sought damages following a motor vehicle accident that resulted in head, neck, shoulder, and right hand injuries, as well as vehicle damage. The plaintiff also claimed a loss of future earnings. Expert witnesses in neurological surgery and vocational rehabilitation were involved in the case. The case was dismissed on July 11, 2019.

A motor vehicle accident occurred in Louisiana when a vehicle operated by one individual collided with an automobile driven by the plaintiff. The plaintiff driver allegedly sustained significant injuries, including nerve damage affecting breathing and lungs, requiring immediate cervical surgery. The plaintiff driver's spouse also claimed a loss of consortium. The at-fault driver's insurance paid its $50,000 policy limit, but the plaintiffs deemed this inadequate to cover the extensive losses. The plaintiff driver and spouse then filed an insurance and bad faith and vehicular liability action against Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE), their own insurer, in the 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson. They asserted claims for negligence, loss of consortium, and breach of the uninsured/underinsured motorist provisions of their policy, alleging PURE failed to tender a fair sum despite receiving extensive medical documentation. PURE removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. PURE denied the allegations, asserting affirmative defenses that included failure to state a claim, failure to mitigate damages, and comparative fault. After a trial, a jury found that the plaintiff driver and spouse had not proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the injuries to the plaintiff driver were legally caused or worsened by the motor vehicle accident. The jury also found that the plaintiff spouse had not proven a sustained loss of consortium. The court subsequently entered judgment in favor of PURE and dismissed the case with prejudice.

A plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging negligent operation of a tractor-trailer, which resulted in serious personal injuries and property damages. Both sides engaged numerous expert witnesses in fields such as economics, accident reconstruction, pain management, and engineering, indicating complex issues related to liability and damages. Details regarding the specific incident, the arguments presented by each side, and the case's final outcome were not available in the record.