Texas Couple Awarded Over $12 million in 18-Wheeler Trucking Case Against New Prime, Appellate Court Affirms Trial Court’s Judgment

Sometimes when a personal injury trucking accident case goes all the way through trial in Houston, the results pay off for the plaintiffs. Although nothing can truly make a person whole after suffering serious injuries sustained from a terrible 18-wheeler truck accident, Texas personal injury laws aim to compensate victims of 18-wheeler truck accidents with money damages for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, and more. One such successful case was finally resolved last year in March, when a Texas appellate court affirmed a $12.45 million jury award to two victims of an 18-wheeler truck accident caused by a New Prime, Inc. driver. The case demonstrates one case in which the jury awarded substantial damages to the plaintiffs in a Texas 18-wheeler truck accident case.

According to the official opinion issued by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 18-wheeler truck driver Robert Alonzo was driving within the scope of his employment for his employer New Prime, Inc., when he rear-ended Plaintiffs Christine John and Christopher Lewis, who were driving a sedan. Both Alonzo and New Prime were named in the lawsuit as liable parties, and conceded liability for the terrible accident. According to the court documents, when Alonzo rear-ended John and Lewis, John hit her head. At the hospital, John complained of head and neck pain, and an MRI revealed bulging and herniated discs. She later complained of pain in her jaw, and was diagnosed with, “trigeminal neuralgia”, or nerve damage to her face. Lewis also suffered injury to his neck and spine as a result of the 18-wheeler truck accident and was ultimately diagnosed with “spinal stenosis in his neck and back and a bulging disc in the lumbar spine and radiculopathy in the lumbar and cervical region”.

At issue on appeal, among other issues raised by Alonzo and New Prime, was the amount of damages awarded by the jury to John and Lewis for their past and future physical pain and mental anguish. At the trial court level, the jury awarded John $12 million in damages for her past and future physical pain and mental anguish as a result of her injuries from the accident, and awarded Lewis $450,000. On appeal, the court found that the damages awarded by the jury were not excessive and affirmed the judgment of the trial court.

Help for Victims of 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents in Houston

Like Christine John and Christopher Lewis, victims of 18-wheeler truck accidents in Houston may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. Under Texas personal injury laws, when a person suffers an 18-wheeler truck accident due to the truck driver’s fault, they may be entitled to money damages against not only the individual truck driver but also the trucking employer, if the driver caused the accident within the scope of his or her employment. In order to find out if you may be owed money damages for your 18-wheeler truck accident injuries, it is best to speak with an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer.

The experienced Houston truck accident lawyers at the Gilde Law Firm offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your truck accident case and to see if they can help fight for you. Contact the Gilde Law Firm and speak to an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer about your case for free.

Source:

assets.law360news.com/1478000/1478590/opinion.pdf