Dallas Jury Issues Defense Verdict in Parking Lot Collision

On February 1, 2012, a 16-year-old was involved in a collision with a sedan driven by her grandmother in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas. The teenager's mother subsequently filed a lawsuit, individually and on behalf of her daughter, against the driver, alleging negligence.

The plaintiff contended that the 16-year-old was getting into the back seat on the driver's side when the defendant failed to maintain a proper lookout and pulled forward, causing a rear wheel to run over the teenager's foot. The plaintiff claimed severe bruising to the right foot, incurred $1,863 in medical bills, required crutches for approximately two months, and experienced an inability to participate in marching band, alongside ongoing walking difficulties. The plaintiff sought $90,000 for past medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering. The defendant denied negligence, arguing that she had heard a rear door close, reasonably assumed the teenager was safely inside the vehicle, and then moved forward. Defense counsel also maintained the teenager was not a member of the marching band before the collision.

Following a one-day trial and one hour of deliberation, the jury determined that neither party was negligent in the incident. A judge subsequently awarded the defendant $454 in court costs.