Dickinson, Texas Jury Awards $60,993 in Bus Accident

On January 6, 2015, a family of five in a minivan was involved in a collision with a school bus at an uncontrolled elbow intersection in Dickinson, Texas. The family's 2012 Honda Odyssey minivan was parked on Brigid Court when a Dickinson Independent School District bus, traveling south on Bentwood Drive, made a right turn onto Brigid Court and sideswiped the left side of the minivan. The occupants of the minivan, including the driver, a front-seat passenger, and three children in the back, subsequently sued the school district, alleging its driver negligently failed to keep a proper lookout and turned too sharply.

The plaintiffs claimed they were stationary for several seconds before impact. The adult plaintiffs reported multiple disc herniations and protrusions in their necks and backs, requiring extensive chiropractic treatment and pain management, including lumbar epidural steroid injections. A neurosurgeon later testified that the adult driver might require a two-level spinal fusion. The minor plaintiffs, aged four and twelve, claimed neck and back sprains and strains, also undergoing chiropractic care. The family sought substantial damages for past and future medical expenses, along with physical pain and mental anguish.

The defense did not strongly dispute liability, as the bus driver acknowledged turning too sharply and not seeing the minivan prior to impact. However, the defense argued that the collision was minor, citing minimal damage to the minivan and no visible damage to the bus. Defense counsel contended that the impact did not cause the claimed injuries, if any, and that the adult and 12-year-old plaintiffs received overtreatment. A defense expert opined that fewer chiropractic sessions were medically necessary and that the adult plaintiffs were noncompliant with recommended cervical injections. The defense also highlighted that the plaintiffs did not complain of injuries at the scene and were ambulatory immediately after the accident.

After a four-day trial, a jury found the bus driver solely negligent. The jury awarded the plaintiffs a total of $60,993.40 in damages. The award included amounts for past medical costs for each plaintiff and for past physical pain and mental anguish for the adult plaintiffs.