A $410,629 verdict obtained by the Houston law firm Tracey & Fox is being recognized in "Top Texas Verdicts & Settlements of 2016," a special report from Texas Lawyer magazine.
The case involved Eden Rebollar, a man who suffered serious neck injuries after the car he was driving was rear-ended by an SUV on I-10 in Houston.
"I'm happy we were able to get a good result for Eden," said Lance Walters of Tracey & Fox. "He's been through a lot."
On July 12, 2011, Rebollar, a mechanic for a Lexus dealership in Houston, was test-driving a car he had just repaired. Traffic slowed on I-10, and he had to come to a complete stop. A Cadillac Escalade driven by Janis Detloff then crashed into him from behind.
An MRI showed a herniated disc in his neck, and he underwent surgery in 2012 to repair it. In 2015, he underwent a second neck surgery.
Rebollar said the accident left him unable to do any heavy lifting at work and unable to pick up his two young daughters. An avid soccer player, he could no longer play like he had before the wreck.
Workers' compensation paid a portion of his medical expenses and lost income while he was unable to work. A previous lawyer recommended he accept a settlement offer of $120,000. But Rebollar felt that amount was not sufficient. He fired that lawyer and hired Walters.
"Eden felt passionately about the negative effects the accident had on his life," said Walters, who took the case to court.
In March of 2016, a jury found for Rebollar and awarded him $410,629, which included damages for past and future physical pain and mental anguish, past and future physical impairment, and past lost earning capacity.