Brownsville Jury Awards $19,600 in Rear-End Collision

In Brownsville, Texas, a driver and her passenger, both plaintiffs, were involved in a motor vehicle accident on February 18, 2014. Their sport utility vehicle was rear-ended by another SUV driven by a defendant. The plaintiffs subsequently filed a lawsuit against the defendant driver and a co-defendant entity, alleging significant back and neck injuries.

The driver plaintiff reported lumbar sprains, strains, and disc protrusions, including an annular tear, with radicular pain. She underwent treatment with a chiropractor, physical therapy, a neurosurgeon, and a pain management doctor, which included an epidural steroid injection. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple disc protrusions. The driver plaintiff sought $27,225 for past medical expenses, $80,000 for future medical expenses, and additional damages for pain and impairment. The passenger plaintiff claimed lumbar and cervical sprains, strains, and disc protrusions, undergoing physical therapy. Her MRI scans showed disc protrusions in both her cervical and lumbar spine. She sought $15,145 for past medical expenses, along with damages for pain and impairment.

The defense argued that the plaintiffs sustained only minor, soft-tissue injuries and contended that the MRI findings were degenerative, unrelated to the collision. They asserted that one plaintiff's injection was not necessitated by the accident and that no surgery would be required. The defense suggested minimal compensation, limited to approximately eight weeks of chiropractic care and physical therapy. Ultimately, a jury found both defendants negligent and awarded the driver plaintiff $14,000 and the passenger plaintiff $5,600, for a total award of $19,600.