Texas Jury Finds Negligence in Rear-End Collision, Awards $350,000

A civil lawsuit arose from a rear-end motor vehicle collision. The plaintiff alleged the defendant negligently struck her vehicle from behind as she was exiting a gas station and re-entering a roadway. The plaintiff claimed she sustained cervical spine herniations requiring a double-level discectomy procedure. The defendant disputed liability, arguing the plaintiff negligently entered the roadway in front of the defendant's vehicle.

A central dispute concerned the cause of the plaintiff's injuries. The plaintiff's neurosurgeon testified that the cervical surgery was directly related to the accident. Conversely, the defense contended that the plaintiff's cervical surgery predated the collision and was unrelated, pointing to medical records documenting prior neck complaints from an earlier motor vehicle accident that occurred a year before the subject incident.

Following deliberation, the jury found the defendant 100% negligent. The jury also determined the plaintiff sustained a permanent injury as a result of the accident and awarded damages totaling $390,897. However, the parties had entered into a high/low agreement of $100,000/$350,000 during jury deliberation, which capped the final award to the plaintiff at $350,000.