Collin County Jury Finds Negligence, Awards $5,000 in Rear-End Crash

In December 2014, a plaintiff, a branch manager, was driving an SUV south on Highway 75 in Collin County during heavy stop-and-go traffic. The vehicle ahead of the plaintiff stopped suddenly, prompting the plaintiff to also stop. A sedan, driven by one defendant and owned by another, then rear-ended the plaintiff's SUV. The plaintiff claimed neck, back, and left shoulder strains and sprains, along with a disc protrusion, and subsequently sought $15,533 for past medical expenses, pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment.

The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the driver, alleging negligence for failing to maintain a proper lookout, control speed, and brake in time. The plaintiff initially sued the vehicle owner for negligent entrustment but later dropped that claim before trial. The defense denied negligence, asserting that a sudden emergency was created by the abrupt stops of the vehicles ahead of their driver. They also argued that the impact was minor, citing evidence such as photographs showing little vehicle damage and the absence of police or an ambulance at the scene.

A defense expert, a chiropractor, opined that the plaintiff's MRIs showed pre-existing degenerative conditions and that any disc protrusion was not caused by the accident, attributing the plaintiff's injuries solely to strains and sprains. The defense further highlighted a gap in the plaintiff's physical therapy treatment, a failure to disclose a prior motor vehicle accident to providers, and the plaintiff's regular weightlifting activities, suggesting these factors may have caused or contributed to the claimed injuries.

After a one-day trial, the jury found the defendant driver negligent. However, the jury awarded the plaintiff $5,000 solely for past medical expenses. Jurors later indicated that they did not believe the physical therapy received after a specific treatment gap was medically justified.