Wrongful Death Commercial Vehicle Collision — $3.1 Million Result

Some of the deadliest truck accidents happen in truck-stop parking lots, not on highways. A truck driver who pulls forward or backs into a space without clearing the area can strike a pedestrian inside the truck's no-zone, where visibility drops to nothing roughly 20 feet ahead, 30 feet behind, and to either side. Driver inexperience and tight parking layouts add to the risk, and the impact can be fatal even at low speeds.

This article examines the Texas Supreme Court's ruling in Gregory and New Prime, Inc. v. Chohan, a wrongful death case that may change how non-economic damages are calculated in Texas personal injury cases. It describes the underlying crash, the original $16.8 million award, the appeal challenging the large non-economic portion, and the court's conclusion that such damages must meet stricter standards because they are harder to quantify than economic damages backed by receipts.