Driver on Mobile Phone Accident Compensation Awarded in Texas

A Texas woman, whose car was hit by a delivery lorry while its driver was talking on a mobile phone, has been awarded 24 million dollars in driver on mobile phone accident compensation for her injuries.  

Vanice Chatman-­Wilson (37) from Corpus Christi in Texas, sustained injuries to her back, spine and neck in 2010, when her Ford Fusion was struck by a Coca Cola delivery truck driven by Araceli Vanessa Cabral (30) who had been talking on her mobile phone at the time. As a result of the accident, and despite undergoing a lumbar operation in February 2011, Vanice was left with permanent nerve damage.

Although using a mobile phone while driving in Texas is not against the law, Vanice sought legal advice and brought a claim for driver on mobile phone accident compensation against Coca Cola Enterprises.

Coca Cola defended the claim by saying that they had a hands-free policy for all their drivers however, at the Corpus Christi High Court, jurors heard evidence from Vanice´s solicitors that the policy was not enforced and from the driver of the truck that she had never been told about the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.

Finding in favour of Vanice, the jury awarded her a total of 24 million dollars driver on mobile phone accident compensation to account for her pain and suffering and punitive damages – an award which her solicitor described as a warning to Coca Cola and other large companies to review the use of mobile phones by their truck drivers.