Harris County Jury Awards $15,847 in Rear-End Collision

On June 25, 2019, an incident occurred in the 11700 block of Beechnut in Houston, Harris County, Texas, when the defendant’s vehicle reportedly rear-ended another vehicle, which was then propelled into the plaintiff’s vehicle. The adult plaintiff, joined by a minor child, subsequently filed a lawsuit. They alleged the defendant negligently operated her vehicle by failing to maintain a proper lookout, control speed, remain alert, yield, properly apply brakes, and avoid objects in her path. The defendant filed a general denial, asserting defenses such as contributory negligence by the plaintiffs, that not all injuries were caused by the accident, failure to mitigate damages, and that the incident was a sudden emergency.

The case, which was consolidated with another lawsuit arising from the same incident, experienced several procedural challenges. The court granted the defendant's initial challenge regarding the reasonableness of certain medical charges. Later, the court also granted the defendant’s objection to strike the plaintiffs' medical records and expense affidavits after they were filed past a court-imposed deadline. Following a two-day jury trial in May and June 2023, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs. On July 24, 2023, a final judgment was entered, awarding the adult plaintiff $9,960.00 and the minor child $5,887.00 in damages. The judgment further included prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest, and court costs totaling $2,351.77.