Texas Jury Awards $10.5 Million in Premises Liability Death
A commercial truck driver was instructed to prepare his tanker for a chemical delivery. He was told to climb to the top of the tanker without fall protection. While climbing, he slipped and fell more than 10 feet to the pavement, suffering severe leg injuries that led to his death eight months later. His family sued the chemical plant owner, alleging premises liability and an unreasonably dangerous condition due to a lack of fall protection and safety policies. The jury awarded $10.5 million.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $10,500,000
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2022
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Catastrophic Injury
- Accident Type
- Truck/Commercial
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $10,500,000 is near the median of $11,275,666 for catastrophic injury cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $3,260,000 to $15,400,000, based on 11 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A commercial truck driver sustained fatal injuries after falling over 10 feet from his tanker at a chemical plant owned and operated by BASF Corp. The incident occurred while the driver was preparing to unload a hazardous chemical delivery. He was instructed by BASF personnel to climb to the top of his tanker and open a crash-box lid without fall protection, a reported company policy. His right foot slipped as he reached the top of the ladder, causing him to fall to the concrete pavement below.
The driver suffered catastrophic leg injuries that required five surgeries and led to his death eight months later, incurring approximately $319,200 in medical expenses. His wife, individually and on behalf of his estate, along with his three children, subsequently sued BASF Corp. The plaintiffs alleged premises liability and an unreasonably dangerous condition, claiming the defendant failed to provide adequate fall protection, such as a harness, and did not implement sufficient safety policies. They contended that based on prior similar incidents, the defendant knew or should have known of the danger posed to truck drivers.
A jury awarded the plaintiffs $10.5 million. The outcome suggested the jury found the defendant liable for the driver's injuries and death.
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 2022, 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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