Texas Jury Awards $40,000 in Motor Vehicle Negligence
One driver failed to control their vehicle's speed and collided into the rear of another vehicle. The driver who was struck suffered serious bodily injuries. The at-fault driver alleged the other driver was contributorily negligent and that the injuries were from unrelated conditions or an unavoidable accident. The case proceeded to trial, and a jury awarded damages to the injured driver.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Back Strain / Soft Tissue Injuries
Back strain and soft tissue injuries are among the most common injuries sustained in car accidents. These injuries affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the back, often resulting from the sudden impact forces experienced during a collision.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $40,000
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2022
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Back Strain / Soft Tissue
- Accident Type
- Rear-end
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $40,000 is above the median of $13,021 for back strain / soft tissue cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $5,408 to $31,445, based on 800 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A rear-end collision occurred on January 6, 2017, when the defendant failed to control the speed of a vehicle and collided into the rear of the plaintiff's vehicle. The plaintiff sustained serious bodily injuries as a result.
The plaintiff filed a lawsuit on July 5, 2017, alleging the defendant's negligence, including failure to obey traffic laws, maintain proper lookout, and control speed. The plaintiff sought damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. The defendant responded on August 7, 2017, asserting defenses such as contributory negligence by the plaintiff, that the injuries stemmed from unrelated conditions, or that the incident was an unavoidable accident. The defendant also sought to limit potential damages based on Texas civil practice and remedies codes and claimed a right to contribution.
The case proceeded to trial, and on May 10, 2022, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury awarded the plaintiff $40,000 in general damages against the defendant.
Understanding This Case
- The majority of soft tissue injuries resolve within 6-12 weeks with proper treatment. However, approximately 10-20% of cases may develop into chronic conditions requiring ongoing care.
- 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 differs from typical similar cases
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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