MONTES LEWIS LAW, PC a Dallas Personal Injury Law Firm, wins $19 million jury verdict against drunk driver

February 18, 2015 - Rachel Montes and Kern Lewis of Montes Lewis Law, PC secured a $19 million dollar jury verdict for a young woman who suffered permanent paralysis from the waist down when she was ejected in a one vehicle roll over wreck. The driver, in a separate criminal proceeding, was convicted of intoxicated assault after his blood alcohol level was found to be .135, far in excess of the Texas limit of .08.

The case, Hope Crump v. John Goin was tried in the 95th Judicial District Court in Dallas County Texas, Cause No.13-03801, the Honorable Ken Molberg presiding. The jury deliberated for 2 days before returning their verdict. The defense contended that Ms. Crump was at fault for distracting the driver and riding with him after she knew he had been drinking. As part of their detailed and in depth investigation, Ms. Crump's trial team tracked down witnesses from the scene of the crash who testified that the Defendant's statements at the scene were inconsistent with his defenses at trial.

The arguments of defense counsel that the cost of future home healthcare should not be awarded because the victim's mother and sister "could take care of her" did not resonate well with the jury. "The jury saw what we set out to prove, that drunk driving is dangerous to all involved." In her closing argument, Ms. Montes stressed that she was not asking the jury to "award" anything to her client, but rather, to make the Defendant responsible for everything he had taken from her.
Montes Lewis Law, PC is comprised of board certified attorneys who practice in state and federal courts around the nation. This verdict follows a recent $5 million dollar jury verdict on behalf of a woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a collision with a commercial truck.