Texas Wrongful Death Verdicts & Landmark Cases

$1.6 billion — a Texas workplace-fatality record

Two workers were killed in an explosion while welding a tank holding flammable condensate at a facility the jury found grossly negligent and 100% at fault. The verdict included hundreds of millions in punitive damages.

Why it matters to your case: When an employer’s recklessness causes a death, Texas gross-negligence findings can unlock punitive damages with no fixed cap — especially in industrial and oilfield settings.

Source: PR Newswire — $1.6B Texas verdict

668 S.W.2d 307 — employer duty for a dangerous employee

A company sent a visibly drunk employee home; within 30 minutes he caused a head-on crash that killed two women. The court held that when an employer affirmatively takes control of an intoxicated employee, it owes a duty of care to the public.

Why it matters to your case: When a negligent employer puts a dangerous employee back on the road, that employer can be held liable for the resulting deaths — expanding the defendants available to a grieving family.

Source: Otis Engineering v. Clark, 668 S.W.2d 307 (Tex. 1983)

$49 million ($8.5M punitive)

A 29-year-old father was killed when an 18-wheeler whose driver had exceeded federal hours-of-service limits made an unsafe left turn across his lane. Evidence showed the carrier had no written safety program. The jury found “conscious indifference” to public safety.

Why it matters to your case: Punitive damages are available in Texas wrongful-death cases when a company shows reckless disregard for safety rules, including federal trucking regulations — and the loss isn’t limited to economic damages.

Source: Ammons Law Firm — $49M verdict