Verdictly
Verdict-Plaintiff
Tarrant County • 2015

Fort Worth Jury Awards $51,242.96 in Taxi Passenger Injury

One driver picked up a passenger who then exited the vehicle. The passenger's head hit the pavement, causing a skull fracture. The passenger claimed a traumatic brain injury, including cognitive impairment, headaches, and memory loss, as well as neck and back sprains. The defense argued the passenger was intoxicated and the incident was his fault. The jury found negligence on the part of the driver and comparative responsibility on the part of the passenger.

Case Information Updated: October 2025

Back to cases
Head/Brain Injury
Other Accident
Cognition

About Head/Brain Injury Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) range from mild concussions to severe brain damage. Car accidents are a leading cause of TBI, with effects ranging from temporary symptoms to permanent cognitive impairment.

Case Outcome

Outcome
Verdict-Plaintiff
Amount
$93,169
County
Tarrant County, TX
Resolved
2015

Injury & Accident Details

Injury Type
Head/Brain Injury
Accident Type
Other
Case Type
Cognition, Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury

Settlement Context

This verdict-plaintiff of $93,169 is near the median of $510,805 for head/brain injury cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $52,650 to $4,929,085, based on 77 cases in our database.

Case Overview

On November 26, 2011, in Fort Worth, a taxi passenger sustained a skull fracture and concussion after an incident involving his driver. The 40-year-old plaintiff had been picked up from a downtown bar and driven to a grocery store parking lot. After exiting the vehicle, the plaintiff either fell or was struck by the cab, hitting his head on the pavement. The plaintiff subsequently filed a lawsuit against the driver and the corporate entities owning the cab, alleging the driver negligently struck him while driving away.

The plaintiff contended he was not significantly intoxicated and that his memory loss was due to his head injury. He sought damages for a traumatic brain injury, including cognitive impairment and memory loss, along with neck and back sprains. The driver denied striking the plaintiff, asserting the plaintiff became aggressive, was ordered to exit, and then stood in front of the cab, subsequently falling backward on his own. The corporate defendants argued their drivers were independent contractors, not employees, paying a daily leasing fee, and thus they were not vicariously liable for the driver's actions. The defense also challenged the extent of the plaintiff's claimed injuries, suggesting some were exaggerated or unrelated to the incident, citing the plaintiff's pre-existing medical history.

During the trial, the court granted a directed verdict in favor of the corporate defendants, dismissing them from the case. The jury then found the driver 55 percent negligent for the incident and the plaintiff 45 percent comparatively responsible. The jury awarded the plaintiff $93,169.01 in damages. After the reduction for comparative responsibility, the plaintiff recovered $51,242.96 from the driver. The driver later appealed the award for medical bills.

Understanding This Case

  • Most mild TBIs resolve within weeks to months. Moderate to severe TBI often results in permanent impairment affecting cognition, behavior, and physical function.
  • 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 Tarrant County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
  • Resolved in 2015, 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

76
/100
Reasonably Fair

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.

Curious about your case value?

Get a free case evaluation to understand what your motor vehicle accident case might be worth based on cases like this in Tarrant County.

Check Your Case Value

Similar cases you may find useful

Handpicked by matching injury type, accident details, and outcome to this case.

Undisclosed
Verdict-Defense
Head/Brain Injury
T-bone

A two-vehicle collision occurred on October 13, 2017, in Mayfield, Kentucky, at the intersection of Ky. 131 and Ky. 58. A 16-year-old permit driver, accompanied by a passenger, was making a left turn from Ky. 131 onto Ky. 58 when her vehicle collided with a vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver traveling on Ky. 58. Surveillance video showed the permit driver rolled through the stop sign and flashing red light before turning into the path of the oncoming vehicle. The intoxicated driver's blood alcohol content was later measured at .219. Both the permit driver and the passenger sustained severe injuries and required extensive medical treatment, with combined medical bills totaling over $900,000. After settling with the intoxicated driver and receiving underinsured motorist coverage, the injured parties, as plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against Arrowhead Camper Sales. The business was located adjacent to the intersection, and the plaintiffs alleged it contributed to the crash by parking campers and trailers too close to the right-of-way, obscuring the permit driver's view of oncoming traffic. They claimed both a statutory violation under KRS 177.106 and general negligence. The plaintiffs presented an accident reconstruction expert and local witnesses who described long-standing visual challenges at the intersection due to the parked campers. The defendant, Arrowhead Camper Sales, denied its campers obstructed drivers' views, asserting that its owner had navigated the intersection thousands of times without issue. The defense's accident reconstruction expert testified that drivers had an unobstructed view of over 1,000 feet just beyond the stop sign. The defense maintained the crash resulted from the combined negligence of both drivers involved in the collision. The case proceeded to an 11-day trial in Mayfield. After an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict on liability in favor of Arrowhead Camper Sales. The jury's finding for the defendant meant they did not reach questions regarding the duties of the drivers or the extent of damages. A defense judgment was subsequently entered.

Dallas County • 2024
View full case
$2,000,000
Verdict-Plaintiff
Back Strain / Soft Tissue
Other Accident
Medical Malpractice

A plaintiff filed a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging a nurse negligently administered an injection, causing permanent injury. The plaintiff, who received injections for migraine headaches, claimed the defendant nurse failed to properly calculate anatomical landmarks before administering Phenergan in the right hip area. The plaintiff asserted that the caustic material was injected near the sciatic nerve, causing immediate severe pain, numbness, and a permanent limp. The plaintiff later developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and underwent surgical implantation of a neurostimulator for pain management. The defendant denied negligence, arguing the injection was not given in the wrong area and was unrelated to the plaintiff's complaints. The defendant noted a lack of immediate documentation for the plaintiff's pain complaints. The plaintiff countered that she reported immediate pain to the nurse and made documented complaints the following day. The plaintiff also argued that the nurse's deposition testimony, which demonstrated her landmark calculation, indicated an improper starting point for the injection. The defendant further suggested the plaintiff's difficulties stemmed from a car accident occurring several weeks after the injection. The plaintiff disputed this, stating the collision primarily resulted in cervical complaints and did not cause new hip issues, emphasizing consistent hip pain reports since the injection. After a week-long trial, the jury found for the plaintiff, awarding $2,000,000 for past and future pain and suffering. This award was subsequently reduced to $755,000 to comply with Maryland's medical malpractice cap on non-economic damages for the year the cause of action arose.

Baltimore County • 2019
View full case
$779,627
Verdict-Plaintiff
Catastrophic Injury
Other Accident
Motor Vehicle Negligence

A plaintiff filed a lawsuit following a motor vehicle accident, claiming severe and permanent injuries. The plaintiff sought damages for significant pain, suffering, discomfort, emotional distress, and a diminished ability to enjoy life. During the proceedings, both sides presented expert medical testimony. The plaintiff's experts included specialists in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Physical Therapy. The defendant's expert was also a specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. The case concluded with an award of $779,627 to the plaintiff.

Denver County • 2015
View full case
$8,184
Mixed
Neck Injury (Whiplash)
Other Accident
Motor Vehicle Negligence

A vehicle collision occurred in May 2008 on Stony Brook when a teenager, pulling from a private drive, struck a childcare worker's vehicle. The childcare worker sustained soft-tissue neck pain and was transported to the emergency room. Liability for the collision was later established by summary judgment. The injured worker subsequently filed a lawsuit in Louisville, seeking damages for medical bills, lost wages, impairment, and pain and suffering. The plaintiff's case was complicated by involvement in a second crash a month later, though injuries were distinguished. The defendant disputed the claimed injuries, citing credibility, lack of objective proof, and a "threshold" defense. The jury found the plaintiff met the medical expense threshold but did not sustain a permanent injury. Ultimately, the jury awarded the plaintiff $8,184 for medical expenses but $0 for lost wages, impairment, and pain and suffering, resulting in a total verdict of $8,184. A judgment consistent with this verdict was entered. The plaintiff later moved for a new trial, arguing the verdict was inadequate. The defendant countered, citing credibility issues. The motion was pending as of June 2016.

Dallas County • 2015
View full case
Undisclosed
Verdict-Defense
Shoulder Injury
Other Accident
Motor Vehicle Negligence

A plaintiff alleged bilateral rotator cuff injuries resulted from paramedics' forceful removal of the plaintiff from a motor vehicle accident. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the defendants, presumably alleging negligence in the plaintiff's care. The court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment in September 2006, concluding the case in favor of the defense.

Dallas County • 2019
View full case