Houston Jury Awards $115,267 in Parking Lot Collision

A collision occurred in a Houston parking lot on June 13, 2013, involving a sedan driven by the plaintiff and another sedan operated by the defendant driver. The plaintiff, a bridal consultant, was turning left from a stop sign when the vehicles collided. The plaintiff subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging the defendant driver was negligent by driving too fast, failing to control speed, failing to keep a proper lookout, and failing to yield the right of way. Claims against the vehicle owner for negligent entrustment and the defendant driver's employer for respondeat superior were not pursued.

The plaintiff testified that the defendant driver was cutting through the parking lot and struck the front right side of her vehicle. She stated she was not driving fast, having recently departed from a stop sign. The defendant driver, however, denied cutting through the lot, asserting he was inching out of a parking space and that the plaintiff was driving at an excessive speed and ran into his vehicle. Evidence presented included a police report where the defendant driver reportedly stated he ran into the plaintiff, and an argument that vehicle damage indicated the plaintiff's vehicle was T-boned.

The plaintiff sought damages for a concussion, post-concussion syndrome, and a torn left rotator cuff. She underwent physical therapy, a steroid injection, and later surgery for her shoulder, experiencing continued occasional pain. She also reported temporary anxiety, memory impairment, and headaches, with occasional migraines persisting. Her injuries resulted in a lifting restriction that impacted her work and personal life. The plaintiff sought compensation for past and future medical bills, physical pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment, totaling $25,266.89 in past medical bills.

After a two-day trial, the jury found that the defendant driver's negligence proximately caused the plaintiff's injuries. The jury awarded the plaintiff $115,267, including $25,267 for past medical costs, $25,000 for past physical impairment, $50,000 for past physical pain, and $10,000 for past mental anguish.