Texas Jury Awards $730 Million in Fatal Wide Load Crash
A wide-load convoy transporting a large submarine propeller was traveling on a two-lane highway. The top of a woman's car was ripped off by the oversized propeller. The woman was killed in the incident. Her children sued the companies involved in the convoy, alleging negligence in carrying the cargo. A jury found the defendants responsible for her death.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Wrongful Death Injuries
Wrongful death claims arise when a car accident fatality is caused by another party's negligence. These cases compensate surviving family members for their losses and the decedent's pain and suffering.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $730,000,000
- County
- Titus County, TX
- Resolved
- 2023
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Wrongful Death
- Accident Type
- Truck/Commercial
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $730,000,000 is above the median of $2,500,000 for wrongful death cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $640,000 to $10,900,000, based on 54 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A 73-year-old woman died on February 21, 2016, when her vehicle's top was ripped off by an oversized U.S. Navy submarine propeller being transported by an overloaded tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 271 in East Texas. The wide-load convoy included vehicles from Landstar Ranger Inc., S&M Pilot Service, and 2A Pilot Cars.
The decedent's four adult children subsequently filed a lawsuit in Titus County, Texas. They alleged negligence by the companies involved in the convoy for their handling of the wide-load cargo and for violating their duty of care.
Following a trial in November 2021, a jury found the defendants 100% responsible for the death, determining they were negligent and had breached their duty of care. The jury awarded the children $480 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages, totaling $730 million. Prior to the trial, Landstar Ranger had settled with the family for $50 million, and S&M Pilot Service had settled for $1 million. The jury assigned 20% liability to Landstar Ranger and 30% liability to S&M Pilot Service.
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 Titus 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 significantly deviates from 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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