Plano, Texas Jury Awards $42,500 in Rear-End Collision

On October 29, 2015, a multiple-vehicle rear-end collision occurred on Preston Road at Tennyson Parkway in Plano, Texas. The plaintiff, who was stopped in traffic, sustained neck, back, shoulder pain, and radiating lower extremity pain, later diagnosed as cervical and lumbar spondylosis and shoulder impingement syndrome. The incident began when defendant Smith's vehicle collided with defendant Meier's vehicle, initiating a chain reaction that pushed another vehicle into the rear of the plaintiff's vehicle. The plaintiff subsequently filed a personal injury action.

The plaintiff maintained that the defendants were negligent by failing to keep a proper lookout, maintain an assured clear distance, and yield to stopped traffic. While one defendant was dismissed before trial and defendant Holden was dismissed by summary judgment, the remaining defendants denied negligence, instead attributing fault to other parties. They also disputed that the plaintiff sustained any serious or permanent injuries from the accident.

Following a trial, a jury awarded the plaintiff $42,500. The jury determined that defendant Smith was 95% negligent for the collision, and defendant Meier was 5% negligent.