Austin-office shareholder Katy Andre and San Antonio-office shareholder Justin Woods recently secured a defense verdict following a commercial motor vehicle trial in Guadalupe County (Seguin), Texas.
The Plaintiff alleged that the Defendant driver, who was operating a bucket truck for a fiber-optic cable installer, moved to the right as though intending to park along the curb of an undivided, two-lane residential road in Taylor, Texas. Plaintiff claimed that, as she began to pass the truck, the Defendant driver turned left and “T-boned” her vehicle.
Defendants argued that the driver was instead attempting to make a lawful left turn at an intersection when Plaintiff attempted to pass him on the left by entering the oncoming lane of traffic. The jury accepted the defense’s account of the collision.
Plaintiff underwent multiple spinal surgeries and claimed more than $440,000 in past medical expenses. She also presented expert economist testimony supporting approximately $713,000 in claimed past and future lost earnings, along with a life care plan projecting more than $2.7 million in future medical expenses. Including non-economic damages, Plaintiff asked the jury to award approximately $7.8 million.
After just over an hour of deliberations, the jury returned a complete defense verdict, finding Plaintiff 100% responsible for the accident.
