Houston Jury Finds Negligence in Red-Light Crash, Awards $38,621
One driver was traveling southbound on a freeway when the other driver, traveling eastbound, allegedly ran a red light and crashed into the first driver's vehicle. The first driver filed a lawsuit claiming the other driver failed to exercise reasonable care. The case proceeded through mediation and a dispute over expert witnesses before going to trial. The jury found both drivers partially negligent and awarded damages for past medical expenses to the first driver. The court entered a final judgment for the first driver.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $41,824
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2023
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Other
- Accident Type
- T-bone
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $41,824 is near the median of $14,473 for other cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $4,770 to $42,056, based on 190 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A vehicle collision in Houston, Texas, on June 1, 2022, led to a personal injury lawsuit. The plaintiff, driving southbound on the 123 block of Eastex Freeway, was struck by the defendant, who was reportedly driving eastbound on the 5200 block of Aldine Mail Route Road and allegedly ran a red light.
The plaintiff filed suit on July 7, 2022, alleging the defendant's negligence, including failure to keep a proper lookout, disobeying a traffic signal, and unsafe driving. The plaintiff sought damages for past and future medical expenses, physical impairment, pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and prejudgment interest. The defendant responded with a general denial, asserting defenses such as sudden emergency, comparative negligence, and that the plaintiff's own actions contributed to the damages. The parties' mandatory mediation resulted in an impasse. Prior to trial, the court granted the plaintiff's motion to strike the defendant's expert witness for untimely disclosure.
The case proceeded to trial on August 16, 2023. A jury found the defendant 55% negligent and the plaintiff 45% negligent. The jury awarded the plaintiff $38,621.00 for past medical expenses only. The defendant subsequently requested a 45% reduction of the award based on the plaintiff's comparative negligence. However, on September 15, 2023, the court entered a final judgment awarding the plaintiff the full jury verdict amount of $38,621.00, plus $1,931.05 in prejudgment interest and $1,272.88 in court costs, along with post-judgment interest.
Understanding This Case
- 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 2023, 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 aligns very well with similar cases
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