Houston Jury Finds Negligence in Car Crash, Awards $801,998
One driver struck a disabled vehicle in the roadway on Interstate 10 in Houston. The disabled vehicle had been involved in a prior collision. The driver claimed back and knee injuries. The case involved claims of negligence regarding the placement of the disabled vehicle.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Lumbar Disc Injury Injuries
Lumbar disc injuries affect the lower back (L1-L5 and S1), which bears significant body weight and is particularly vulnerable to trauma. These injuries can cause debilitating pain and functional limitations.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $891,109
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2015
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Lumbar Disc Injury
- Accident Type
- Multi-vehicle
- Case Type
- Lower Back, Herniated Disc at L4-5, Discectomy
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $891,109 is above the median of $50,756 for lumbar disc injury cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $20,000 to $210,000, based on 204 cases in our database.
Case Overview
On June 25, 2012, a business owner was driving his van on Interstate 10 in Houston when he struck a disabled sport utility vehicle. The plaintiff sustained back and knee injuries in the collision. He subsequently filed a negligence lawsuit against the owner of the disabled vehicle, alleging she was responsible for leaving it in the roadway after an earlier collision with a third party.
The plaintiff claimed the defendant was negligent for leaving her vehicle in the roadway without confirming it could not be moved. An accident reconstruction expert for the plaintiff opined that the defendant caused both the initial collision with the third party and the subsequent collision involving the plaintiff's van, asserting that the plaintiff's sight was impaired. The defendant denied responsibility for either collision. Her accident reconstruction expert maintained that she was not at fault and that the plaintiff had adequate sight distance and reaction time to initiate an evasive maneuver.
The plaintiff suffered a lacerated knee requiring sutures, debridement, and arthroscopy, and a lumbar herniation that necessitated physical therapy, epidural injections, and a discectomy. He sought stipulated medical costs, future medical expenses, and damages for lost earning capacity, past and future pain and suffering, and physical impairment. Following a five-day trial, a jury found the plaintiff 10% liable and the defendant 90% liable. The jury awarded total damages of $891,108.93, which was reduced to $801,998.04 based on the comparative fault finding.
Understanding This Case
- About 90% of lumbar disc herniations improve with conservative treatment. However, those requiring surgery may face permanent work restrictions and ongoing pain management needs.
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Harris County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2015, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome is within expected ranges
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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