Why a Waco Jury’s $4 Million Award in Personal Injury Case Matters

Judge Albright presided over a personal injury jury trial this week. This case arose from the tipping-over of a 2,300-pound water tank system which nearly resulted in the amputation of the plaintiff’s foot. After a three-day trial (parties were limited to six hours of testimony) and 2.5 hours of deliberations (with three jury notes), the jury found in favor of the plaintiff and awarded $4 Million in damages. The 11-page verdict form (three pages longer than the verdict form in the MV3 v. Roku trial) included 12 separate damages elements, and the jury awarded damages for 10 of the 12 elements.

WacoWatch caught up with Tom Melsheimer to get his take on the award, and he observed, “This size verdict for a personal injury case that did not involve a death aligns Waco with what might be seen out of an East Texas jury. So, I think it is useful for evaluating potential damages in other kinds of cases as well.”