Texas Judge Awards $21,801 After Negligent Entrustment Crash
One driver's insurance company sued another driver and their mother after a car accident. The insurance company claimed the mother was responsible for letting her son drive her car, and that his actions caused the crash. The insurance company had already paid their insured for the damages. The court entered a default judgment against the mother because she did not respond to the lawsuit.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Defense
- Amount
- $21,801
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2019
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Other
- Accident Type
- Other
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-defense of $21,801 is above the median of Undisclosed for other cases resolved by verdict-defense. The typical range is Undisclosed to Undisclosed, based on 144 cases in our database.
Case Overview
An insurer filed a lawsuit in Texas seeking to recover damages paid to its policyholder following an automobile accident on October 30, 2016. The plaintiff, GEICO County Mutual Insurance Company, alleged that its insured's vehicle was damaged due to the negligent operation of a vehicle by the defendant driver. The insurer sought $21,801.00 in damages.
The plaintiff further alleged that the defendant owner was the vehicle's owner and had negligently entrusted the vehicle to the defendant driver, who was described as incompetent, reckless, unlicensed, and uninsured. The insurer also claimed the vehicle was operated with the defendant owner's consent and knowledge, and that the defendant driver was acting within the scope of employment or agency, making the defendant owner vicariously liable. After initial difficulties in serving the defendant owner, the court granted a motion for substituted service under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, allowing documents to be affixed to the residence after failed personal delivery attempts.
The plaintiff later filed a notice of partial nonsuit without prejudice against the defendant driver, who had not been served, which the court granted. Following this, the plaintiff moved for a default judgment against the defendant owner, who had been served but failed to file an answer. On February 22, 2019, the court entered a default judgment against the defendant owner, awarding the plaintiff $21,801.00, plus court costs and interest, allowing the insurer to recover the subrogated amount paid to its insured.
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 2019, 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 differs from typical similar cases
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