Bexar County Jury Awards $124.5M in Rear-End & Defective Seat Case
A child suffered a severe brain injury, blindness, and partial paralysis after a collision. The plaintiff alleged that the driver of the striking vehicle was negligent and that the vehicle manufacturer defectively designed the driver's seat, causing it to collapse during the impact. The defendants denied these claims and argued that seat belts were not used. The jury found in favor of the plaintiff, assigning fault to the striking driver, the manufacturer, and the plaintiff driver.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Head/Brain Injury Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) range from mild concussions to severe brain damage. Car accidents are a leading cause of TBI, with effects ranging from temporary symptoms to permanent cognitive impairment.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $124,496,993
- County
- Bexar County, TX
- Resolved
- 2016
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Head/Brain Injury
- Accident Type
- Rear-end
- Case Type
- Product Liability, Defective Design
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $124,496,993 is above the median of $1,893,000 for head/brain injury cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $93,169 to $9,140,000, based on 45 cases in our database.
Case Overview
On December 18, 2012, in Bexar County, a 7-year-old minor plaintiff was a rear-seat passenger in a vehicle that was struck from behind by another driver. The collision allegedly caused the vehicle's driver's seat to collapse rearward, leading the driver's head to strike the minor plaintiff's head. The minor plaintiff sustained a severe brain injury and fractured skull, resulting in blindness and partial paralysis.
The plaintiffs filed suit in the 73rd Judicial District Court, alleging the defendant driver was negligent in causing the rear-end collision. They also claimed the defendant motor vehicle manufacturer was negligent for defectively designing the driver's seat, which allegedly failed upon impact, and for providing inadequate warnings. The defendants denied the allegations, with the manufacturer asserting its seat was not defective. They also contended that the driver and minor plaintiff were not wearing their seat belts.
After a four-week trial, the jury deliberated for two and a half days before returning a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury assessed liability at 25% to the defendant driver, 55% to the defendant manufacturer, and 20% to the plaintiff driver. The plaintiff was awarded a total of $124,496,993 in damages, including compensation for past and future physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, physical impairment, and medical expenses.
Understanding This Case
- Most mild TBIs resolve within weeks to months. Moderate to severe TBI often results in permanent impairment affecting cognition, behavior, and physical function.
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Bexar County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2016, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome significantly deviates from similar cases
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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