Dallas Jury Finds Negligence in Rear-End Collision, Awards $10,950

On April 2, 2014, a delivery driver, identified as the plaintiff, was driving north on Highway 35 in Dallas, Texas, when a motorist, the defendant, rear-ended the plaintiff's pickup truck. The plaintiff subsequently filed a lawsuit against the defendant, alleging negligence for failing to maintain a proper lookout, control speed, and avoid the collision. The defendant admitted fault for the accident itself.

The plaintiff claimed to have sustained a tear of the triangular fibrocartilage in the left wrist, along with soft-tissue neck, back, and left shoulder injuries. An ununited fracture of the ulnar styloid process, which had occurred 16 years prior, was also identified in the plaintiff's wrist, leading to a dispute over whether the accident aggravated or re-broke the old injury. The plaintiff sought compensation for past and future medical bills, past lost wages, and past and future physical pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment, totaling between $36,000 and $119,000.

The defense argued that the wrist fracture was an old injury unrelated to the collision and questioned the validity of some of the treating chiropractor's opinions on future care, noting the absence of prior wrist films for comparison. The defense also highlighted the plaintiff's ability to continue working in a physically demanding job and the lack of treatment after September 2014 as evidence against the claimed severity and ongoing pain. The defense suggested awarding significantly lower amounts for damages, including zero for future medical bills and future pain and impairment.

After a two-day trial, the jury found the defendant negligent. The jury awarded the plaintiff $10,500 for past medical costs and $450 for past lost earnings, for a total award of $10,950. The awarded amount indicated that the jury did not fully accept the plaintiff's claims regarding the extent of future damages or the full causation of the wrist injury.