SAN ANTONIO – A Texas jury deliberated for three hours before returning a $59.8 million verdict in a civil lawsuit.
Armando Guerrero, III, 23, was struck by a vehicle driven by Nydia Pena who is accused of running a red light on Southwest Military Drive in May 2016. Guerrero suffered facial and abdominal injuries and underwent surgery for a broken jaw, spleen repair and other injuries. Pena admitted she was intoxicated at the time of the accident and that she was distracted by her child in the backseat, according to documents filed in the civil case. She ran a red light while traveling at a speed of over 78 mph in a 40-mph zone, according to Guerrero’s attorneys.
Judge Laura Salinas converted the verdict into a $60,086,578.32 judgment, to include pre-judgment interest in the case.
The jury awarded the following damages:
• Past and Future Physical Pain and Mental Anguish: $7,5 million.
• Past and Future Disfigurement: $550,000.
• Past and Future Physical Impairment: $1.625 million.
• Past Medical Expenses: $81,223.22.
• Punitive Damages: $50 million.
With pre-judgment interest, the final judgment will exceed $60 million. “When a driver chooses to drink and get behind the wheel, they are making a decision that puts everybody on the road at risk,” said Thomas J. Henry, Guerrero’s attorney. “This case exemplifies the extensive, life-altering consequences that arise from that sort of decision.” This judgment cannot be dismissed by bankruptcy.