Houston Jury Awards $911K in Multi-Vehicle Collision

In February 2017, a multi-vehicle collision occurred on a street in Houston during rush hour. A driver and a passenger were traveling in a compact car when a sedan, exiting an apartment complex driveway, struck their vehicle's right side. The impact caused the compact car to subsequently collide with a vehicle in the middle lane and a bus in the right lane. The driver claimed to have sustained multiple herniated discs and related conditions in their back, while the passenger reported a disc bulge and cervical facet arthropathy with radiating pain in their neck and back.

The driver and passenger filed a lawsuit against the sedan's driver, alleging negligence in the vehicle's operation. They later added their underinsured motorist (UIM) carrier, Auto Club Mutual Insurance Co., as a defendant, seeking UIM benefits. The sedan driver settled with the plaintiffs for an undisclosed amount during litigation, and the case proceeded to trial solely on the UIM claims. At trial, the UIM carrier did not dispute the initial driver's negligence.

The plaintiffs presented evidence of their extensive chiropractic treatment and epidural steroid injections. Both testified about persistent symptoms, work limitations, and reduced earning capacity, supported by expert testimony from a physical therapist regarding permanent impairment and an economist calculating economic damages. The UIM carrier's defense highlighted photographs showing minimal damage to the plaintiffs' vehicle despite the multiple impacts. The defense also questioned the driver's claimed need for assistance at work and disputed the passenger's lost earnings claims, noting the passenger's voluntary leave to care for family and challenging the economist's assumptions about the passenger's future work longevity.

Following a two-day trial and four hours of deliberation, a Houston jury rendered a 5-1 verdict, awarding the plaintiffs $911,000. However, the award did not include damages for physical pain and mental anguish, with jurors indicating a lack of sufficient evidence for these claims. After a $60,000 credit to the UIM carrier, the total damages were reduced to $851,000. The plaintiffs' recovery was ultimately limited to $90,000 by the UIM policy limits.