Houston Jury Awards $161,005 in Rear-End Collision

In June 2016, a manager driving on the 610 North Loop in Houston was involved in a rear-end collision when her car was struck by a trailing pickup truck. The plaintiff subsequently sued the truck's driver, alleging negligence in the operation of his vehicle. The plaintiff claimed she observed the defendant's truck weaving and that the defendant appeared to be looking down, suggesting cell phone use, before striking her vehicle without slowing.

The defendant denied distraction or cell phone use, stating he expected the plaintiff to proceed with traffic but she did not. The plaintiff claimed the accident caused or aggravated multiple herniated discs in her spine, leading to nerve impingement, radiculopathy, and pain, numbness, and tingling in her legs and feet, in addition to temporary elbow pain. She had been diagnosed with herniated discs after a 2013 accident and experienced subsequent significant health events, including a heart attack and stroke years after the collision, which required extensive rehabilitation.

During trial, the plaintiff's counsel argued that the plaintiff had recovered from her later health issues and that her remaining impairments resulted from the 2016 collision. The defense contended that her complaints stemmed from pre-existing conditions, a prior accident, or the later health events, and that she had not disclosed previous injuries to her medical providers. The plaintiff sought over $670,000 in damages, including medical expenses, pain, impairment, and mental anguish. After a two-day trial and six hours of deliberation, a jury in Houston found the defendant liable for the collision and awarded the plaintiff $161,005.