It’s never easy to defend a personal injury case in certain parts of Texas, and Crystal City in Zavala County is one of them.
This San Antonio Express-News article reports on a case in Crystal City (between San Antonio and Eagle Pass) in which a jury last week awarded $28 million to a plaintiff against Ford Motor Co. in a rollover case. In an almost unbelievable development except that this is Zavala County, the trial was interrupted earlier when Ford lawyers discovered that one of the jurors was the girlfriend of one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers. Moreover, in a hearing over a defense motion for a mistrial, Ford presented evidence that the girlfriend — who happens to be the Crystal City city manager (it’s a very small world in Zavala County) — had also solicited two of the plaintiffs for her boyfriend to represent in the case!
Incredibly, the trial judge denied Ford’s motion for a mistrial. So it goes in small town South Texas.
Will the plaintiff’s lawyer’s failure to disclose that the juror was his girlfriend receive a more appropriate response from the State Bar of Texas? Stay tuned.
Houston's Clear Thinkers
Longtime Houston attorney Tom Kirkendall's observations on developments in law, business, medicine, culture, sports, and other matters of general interest to the Houston business, professional, and academic communities.
Ford’s $31 million sweetheart verdict
The famously pro-plaintiff jurisdiction of Zavala County, Texas once again lived up to its reputation the other day when one of its juries returned a $31 million verdict against the Ford Motor Co. in the…
I am from Crystal City and I am 20 years old. I agree with everyone that this case is totally stupid! All of the people envolved in the car wreck were drinking – and I know this because I was at the party they were at before the accident happened. Everyone is in it for the money. Personally, I do not know how they can ask for money after they know the accident was their fault. If I were one of the girls who died, I would be very upset that everyone would be trying to get money out of my death. I think the trial is just BS!!