Galveston County Motor Vehicle Wrongful Death Settles for $52,460
A driver left his vehicle in motion while pumping gas, and it rolled forward. The driver re-entered the vehicle and accidentally accelerated, hitting a person who was loading items into a parked car. The injured person sustained severe injuries, including the amputation of a leg and the need for a colostomy bag, and later died from sepsis.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Settlement
- Amount
- $52,460
- County
- Galveston County, TX
- Resolved
- 2019
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Catastrophic Injury
- Accident Type
- Pedestrian
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Negligence, Auto/Pedestrian collision
Settlement Context
This settlement of $52,460 is below the median of $11,700,000 for catastrophic injury cases resolved by settlement. The typical range is $52,460 to $15,025,000, based on 6 cases in our database.
Case Overview
On May 20, 2017, a pedestrian was loading items into a parked car in the parking lot of a convenience store and gasoline station in an unincorporated area of Galveston County. A driver, who had exited his 2016 Jeep Wrangler while leaving it in drive to pump fuel, re-entered the vehicle as it began to roll forward. The driver then mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the Jeep to strike the pedestrian and her vehicle. The pedestrian sustained multiple severe injuries, including a leg amputation, the need for a permanent colostomy bag, and pressure sores from limited mobility.
The decedent developed severe sepsis from her injuries and passed away on April 28, 2018, at age 21. Her mother, the plaintiff, subsequently filed a wrongful death action, alleging the defendant driver was negligent and breached his duty of care, which proximately caused the decedent's death. The defendant generally denied all allegations of negligence.
The parties ultimately resolved the case through a settlement, with the plaintiff receiving $52,460.
Understanding This Case
- This case was resolved through a settlement, avoiding the uncertainty and expense of a trial. Settlements typically resolve faster and provide guaranteed compensation.
- This case was resolved in Galveston County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2019, 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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