Vol. 55 No. 5

Trial Magazine

Verdicts & Settlements: Motor Vehicle Liability

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Negligent Entrustment

May 2019

Vilma Marenco, 54, was driving through an intersection when a loaded 18-wheeler operated by Rodger Jones struck her driver’s-side door. Marenco suffered fatal injuries in the crash. She had been a restaurant worker earning $25,000 annually and is survived by her husband and two daughters, one of whom was a minor.

Marenco’s estate sued Jones and truck owners Elisa Fabiola Lopez and R & F Quality Transportation, alleging liability for negligent entrustment and failure to supervise Jones and for his failure to heed a red light. 

The court awarded more than $11 million, including $5 million in punitive damages.

Citation: Gomez v. Jones, No. 2014-37675 (Tex. Dist. Ct. Harris Cnty. Dec. 5, 2018).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ member Benny Agosto Jr., Houston.