Weld County Jury Awards $200,000 in Rear-End Collision

An off-duty police officer, acting as the plaintiff, was stopped in his pickup truck in Weld County, Colorado, at the request of a pilot truck escorting an oversized load. While stopped, another driver, who became the defendant driver, allegedly rear-ended the plaintiff's truck and then collided with the pilot truck. The plaintiff reportedly sustained injuries to his neck, back, leg, and foot.

The plaintiff filed a complaint in the Colorado District Court for Weld County, 19th Judicial District, alleging general negligence against the defendant driver. He sought to recover damages for past and future economic and non-economic losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, and mental anguish. The plaintiff later amended the complaint to add the owner of the piloting services as a defendant. Both defendants denied the allegations and asserted affirmative defenses, including comparative negligence and the plaintiff's alleged failure to use a seatbelt.

Before trial, the plaintiff filed an unopposed motion for voluntary dismissal of the piloting services defendant, which the court granted. The case against the defendant driver proceeded to a jury trial. The jury found the defendant driver liable for the plaintiff's injuries and damages, awarding the plaintiff $200,000. This amount included $130,000 for economic loss and $70,000 for non-economic loss. The court entered judgment in favor of the plaintiff for $200,000, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, which resulted in a total payment of $314,696.46 to satisfy the judgment.