Garland, Texas Jury Finds Negligence in Left-Turn Collision, Awards $32,500

On April 28, 2013, a collision occurred in Garland, Texas, when a minivan driver attempted an unprotected left turn and struck another vehicle carrying a family of five. The family, consisting of a driver, a spouse, and three children, sustained various injuries, including lumbar sprains, disc bulges, a torn meniscus, and neck and back strains. They sought medical treatment, including chiropractic care.

The plaintiffs filed a lawsuit, initially alleging negligence against the vehicle's alleged owner, but later substituting the minivan's driver as a defendant and changing the claim against the alleged owner to negligent entrustment. The defense stipulated to the minivan driver's liability in exchange for the plaintiffs nonsuiting the negligent entrustment claim against the alleged owner. Despite this, the defense contested the extent of the plaintiffs' injuries and their causation, introducing expert testimony that treatment was excessive, not medically necessary, and that some conditions were pre-existing or degenerative. The defense also highlighted a gap in the plaintiffs' medical treatment records. After a one-day trial, a jury found the alleged owner negligent and awarded the plaintiffs $32,500.39.