Dallas County Jury Awards $6 Million in Truck Collision
Motorists carpooling to work were injured when an 18-wheeler struck seven cars on a Texas highway, pushing their pickup into another truck. The plaintiffs required multiple surgeries and hospital stays. The jury found the truck driver's employer liable for negligence and awarded damages for injuries, pain, and suffering.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $6,000,000
- County
- Dallas County, TX
- Resolved
- 2017
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Catastrophic Injury
- Accident Type
- Truck/Commercial
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence, Tractor trailer negligence, Vehicle negligence, General negligence
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $6,000,000 is near the median of $11,275,666 for catastrophic injury cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $3,260,000 to $15,400,000, based on 11 cases in our database.
Case Overview
On June 13, 2014, a group of motorists carpooling to work sustained severe injuries in a multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 35 north of Waxahachie, Texas. As traffic slowed due to a prior accident, an 18-wheeler struck seven vehicles, causing the plaintiffs' pickup truck to collide with a commercial delivery truck. The plaintiffs required multiple surgeries and extensive hospital stays as a result of the incident.
The plaintiffs filed a negligence lawsuit in Dallas County Court at Law against Olmsted-Kirk Paper Company, the employer of the 18-wheeler's driver. They sought damages for their physical injuries, as well as pain, suffering, and mental anguish.
During the trial, evidence was presented indicating that the tractor-trailer driver did not reduce speed as he approached the congested area and was traveling at or near highway speeds when the truck struck the other vehicles. On March 10, the jury found Olmsted-Kirk Paper Company liable for its employee's negligence and awarded the plaintiffs $6 million in damages for their injuries, pain, and mental anguish.
Understanding This Case
- 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 Dallas County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2017, 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 is within expected ranges
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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