Trucking Co. Werner Can’t Duck $116M Fatal Crash Judgment on Appeal

A case with an unusual procedural history, featuring a $116 million judgment, was recently decided in a 5-4 decision by the en banc Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, and the court’s affirmance of the jury’s award has likely set the stage for a Texas Supreme Court showdown.

The May 18 ruling means the nine-figure judgment against trucking company Werner Enterprises and its driver Shiraz Ali will stand, for now. Werner had lodged six arguments on appeal — challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, the wording of the jury charge, admission of certain evidence and the damages awarded for future medical care — all of which were summarily rejected by the majority in an 89-page en banc opinion.