Case at a glance
- Recovery: $900,000 Settlement
- Injury: Neck and lower-back injuries; lumbar surgery
- Practice: Transportation Accidents
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
A collision in stop-and-go traffic
Tranquilino was a 52-year-old veteran firefighter driving his pickup in Houston. A Ford Expedition driven by an employee of an electrical instrumentation company struck his truck from behind.
The vehicles were traveling through lunch-hour traffic. A police officer stopped at the scene, but the parties told the officer an investigation was not necessary. Tranquilino was able to drive his pickup back to work.
That immediate ability to leave the scene did not tell the full story of his injuries. His neck and lower-back problems required an extended course of treatment.
Treatment that changed his working life
Tranquilino received conservative medical care for approximately a year and a half before undergoing a micro-laminectomy at L5-S1 in his lower back.
He had to retire from the Houston Fire Department. He later worked on a fire rescue team, but the injury had changed the course of his established firefighting career.
Pursuing the company-vehicle claim
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team brought a lawsuit against the driver and his employer in Jefferson County. The case alleged that the driver was negligent and was acting in the course and scope of his employment when the collision occurred.
The defense disputed responsibility. It argued that the crash was unavoidable and that the driver had responded reasonably to a sudden emergency. According to the defense, several vehicles stopped abruptly and the driver could not stop before striking Tranquilino’s pickup.
The claim therefore involved both the circumstances of the rear-end collision and the consequences of Tranquilino’s injuries. His course of treatment, eventual back surgery and departure from the fire department were central to the damages he sought.
A $900,000 resolution before trial
The parties reached a $900,000 settlement before trial.
The settlement resolved the dispute over a crash that initially allowed Tranquilino to return to work but ultimately required surgery and changed his career.
Questions about the case
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