Texas Motor Vehicle Negligence Settles for $2.5 Million
A driver stopped at a red light was hit from behind by another vehicle. The driver who was hit claimed injuries to her neck, back, and hips, requiring multiple surgeries and ongoing pain management. The other driver's employer was also named as a defendant. The defense argued the plaintiff's injuries were from subsequent incidents or pre-existing conditions.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Settlement
- Amount
- $2,500,000
- County
- Jim Wells County, TX
- Resolved
- 2017
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Back Strain / Soft Tissue
- Accident Type
- Rear-end
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence, Rear End Collision
Case Overview
A motor vehicle collision occurred on Highway 44 at its intersection with US-281 when a female vocational nurse, stopped at a red light, had her vehicle struck from behind by a trailing vehicle. The plaintiff was transported to an emergency room, complaining of neck and back pain, and was released the same day. She subsequently filed a negligence lawsuit against the driver and the driver's employer. The plaintiff alleged the driver failed to observe a traffic light and control speed, and was acting in the course of employment, driving an employer-owned vehicle. The defendant driver died of unrelated causes before the case concluded, and the suit continued against their estate.
The plaintiff claimed the accident resulted in bilateral sacroiliac joint dysfunction and depression. She underwent extensive treatment, including 15 months of chiropractic care, two sacroiliac fusions, multiple lumbar dorsal column stimulator placements, and counseling and medication for depression. The plaintiff asserted these injuries caused chronic pain and limitations affecting her ability to work and care for her children. Her treating neurosurgeon opined that her sacroiliac injuries were causally related to the collision and would result in chronic pain.
The defendant driver's estate conceded liability for the collision itself. However, the defense contested the causation of the plaintiff's claimed injuries, arguing they stemmed from a subsequent May 2012 incident or pre-existing conditions from prior accidents in 2002 and 2005, which the plaintiff allegedly did not disclose. The defendant employer denied that the driver was an employee. Defense expert orthopedists and neurosurgeons opined the plaintiff sustained only soft tissue strains that should have resolved quickly, finding no objective evidence of sacroiliac injury related to the accident. They noted degenerative findings consistent with age and a prior rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.
The parties settled the matter prior to trial. The defendant employer's insurance carrier paid the plaintiff $2.5 million in damages.
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