Baytown Jury Awards $21,219 in Motor Vehicle Negligence

On May 3, 2017, a compact car driven by a 21-year-old instrument technician, with a 19-year-old dental assistant as a passenger, collided with a full-size pickup truck towing a trailer on Main Street in Baytown. The incident occurred when the pickup truck, traveling in the left northbound lane, attempted a right turn, striking the front of the compact car. The driver and passenger of the compact car subsequently filed a lawsuit against the pickup truck operator, alleging negligence. A separate property damage claim by the passenger's insurer was consolidated but settled prior to trial.

The plaintiffs claimed various injuries, including neck, back, shoulder, and arm pain for the driver, and additional leg pain for the passenger. Both were treated at an emergency room and later underwent approximately three and a half months of chiropractic care. The driver sought damages for past medical expenses, lost earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment. The passenger sought similar damages, including past medical expenses, lost earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment, and testified to ongoing nervousness about driving or riding in a car.

During the trial, the defendant stipulated to liability and did not attend. Defense counsel argued that both plaintiffs had recovered from their injuries. Counsel also questioned the passenger's claim of ongoing fear, noting a prior, more severe accident. Additionally, the defense challenged the credibility of the treatment and injury claims, highlighting that both plaintiffs sought treatment from the same chiropractor for the same duration and frequently answered "I don't know" during depositions regarding their injuries.

After a two-day trial and three hours of deliberation, a jury awarded the plaintiffs a total of $21,219.10. The driver received $6,521 for past medical costs, $504 for past lost earning capacity, and $2,500 for past physical pain. The passenger was awarded $6,976 for past medical costs, $218 for past lost earning capacity, $2,500 for past physical pain, and $2,000 for past mental anguish.