Harris County Court Awards $683,751.70 in Rear-End Collision

On October 7, 2017, in Harris County, Texas, a vehicle carrying the plaintiffs was rear-ended on Chimney Rock Road by a taxi. The plaintiffs subsequently filed a motor vehicle negligence action, alleging the taxi driver was inattentive, failed to control the vehicle's speed, and did not apply the brakes in time to avoid the collision. They also claimed the defendant taxi companies were negligent for entrusting their vehicle to a driver described as unlicensed or unsafe.

The plaintiffs maintained they sustained serious spinal injuries as a result of the incident. The male plaintiff was diagnosed with a broad-based cervical disc herniation and lumbar disc protrusions, requiring cervical and lumbar blocks, injections, and future spinal surgery. The female plaintiff, a passenger, suffered cervical disc protrusions and bulges, radiculopathy, and thoracic and lumbar sprains and strains. The defendants generally denied all allegations of negligence and injury.

The court granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment on the issue of liability. Subsequently, the defendants failed to appear for trial, leading to a default judgment. The court found in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding the male plaintiff $353,734.45 and the female plaintiff $333,017.25, for a total of $683,751.70 in damages.