Houston Jury Awards $210,000 in Rear-End Truck Collision

On November 5, 2015, a multi-vehicle collision occurred in the 8400 block of North Beltway 8 West in Houston, Texas. Traffic had slowed when a tractor-trailer, driven by the defendant and owned by a distribution company, struck the vehicle in front of it, which was then pushed into the plaintiff's vehicle. The plaintiff sustained significant injuries, including a torn biceps tendon, a partial rotator cuff tear, and disc injuries in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. The plaintiff underwent multiple surgeries for the shoulder and neck, and a future two-level lumbar fusion was recommended.

The plaintiff filed a negligence lawsuit against the tractor-trailer driver and owner, alleging failures to maintain a proper lookout, adequate following distance, and control of the vehicle. The plaintiff claimed past and future medical expenses totaling over $639,000. The defendants denied all allegations of negligence and disputed that the plaintiff's neck and back complaints were causally related to the incident. They also asserted defenses of sudden emergency and contributory negligence. Another driver involved in the initial collision was dismissed from the action prior to trial.

Following a trial, a jury in Houston, Texas, found the defendants negligent and that their negligence was a factual cause of harm to the plaintiff. The jury awarded the plaintiff $210,000 in damages. This included $80,000 for past medical expenses, $75,000 for past pain and suffering, $5,000 for future medical expenses, and $50,000 for future pain and suffering.