Houston Jury Awards $13,995 in Motor Vehicle Negligence Case

On April 27, 2017, a collision occurred in Houston, Texas, involving vehicles driven by the plaintiff and the defendant. The plaintiff was traveling east on a feeder road, stopped at a light, and then turned right. The defendant, who was southbound in the middle lane of Greenbriar Drive, had proceeded through the intersection. The plaintiff alleged that as she began to pass the defendant, he veered left and struck her vehicle's right rear quarter panel with his front left quarter panel. The plaintiff subsequently sued, alleging the defendant was negligent for failing to keep a proper lookout and making an unsafe lane change or an illegal left turn. She claimed neck, lower back, and left shoulder strains, a disc protrusion, and headaches.

The plaintiff argued that the defendant, unfamiliar with the area and attempting to reach a doctor's office, made a sudden, unsignaled left turn from the middle lane. Evidence included the defendant's vehicle having its front wheels stuck in a sharply turned position post-collision and alleged inconsistencies in his testimony regarding his lane. A video of the route was admitted for demonstrative purposes. The defendant, however, testified that he was attempting a lane change with his turn signal activated, and that the plaintiff unsafely attempted to pass him on the left. The defense argued the plaintiff was late for work and rushed, disputing her claims of notifying her supervisor and lacking reprimands.

The plaintiff sought $12,006 for past medical expenses, $8,000 for past physical pain, $8,000 for past physical impairment, and $989 for property damage. The defense questioned the credibility of pain and impairment claims, noting the plaintiff worked a full shift after the accident. After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for three hours and found the defendant's negligence was a proximate cause of the accident. The jury did not find the plaintiff's negligence a proximate cause, awarding her $13,995.