DALLAS The insurance company for Dallas-based Hunt Oil Company and the insurance company for the driver have agreed to pay $30 million to a Texas woman who was left with a permanent and painful back injury after her car was hit by a former worker driving a Hunt Oil pickup truck.
The wreck happened on a Friday night in November 2019 in Odessa. As 53-year-old Barbara Dalby drove her car on State Highway 191, a Ford F-150 owned and operated by Hunt Oil, and driven by a former Hunt Oil employee who was intoxicated, hit her car head on.
The former employee was using a company vehicle outside of work hours, which the individual knew was a violation of both the law and company policy.
As a result, Dalby, a mother of three, required lumbar fusion surgery and continues to suffer from chronic pain.
Attorneys believe the settlement amount is the highest ever in Dallas County in this type of injury case. The case settled just as jury selection began Tuesday in a Dallas County District courtroom.
“My thanks go out to the 54 potential jurors who showed up yesterday to fulfill their obligation to serve on a jury,” said attorney Brent Goudarzi of Goudarzi & Young in Longview, Texas, who, along with Dallas trial lawyer Charla Aldous of Aldous\Walker, represents the plaintiff. “This settlement on the eve of trial shows that our system of justice works when citizens are active and involved in jury duty.”
Both Goudarzi and Aldous believe that this settlement would not have happened without Dallas citizens showing up for jury duty, ready to serve.
“Hunt Oil knew that they would be held accountable by a jury of Ms. Dalby’s peers and that pressure I know caused them to settle,” Mr. Goudarzi said.
“I am happy we were able to achieve such a tremendous result on behalf of Ms. Dalby,” Ms. Aldous said. “This settlement will take care of all her future medical needs.”
Evidence in the case showed that, at the time of the crash, the Hunt Oil employee who was driving the pickup truck had drugs and alcohol in his system. Evidence in the case further showed that the driver had been doing drugs and drinking alcohol with his Hunt Oil supervisor, immediately before the wreck.
Prior to the crash, Ms. Dalby worked as a proposal specialist for a company that helped law enforcement and military organizations, but since the wreck she has been unable to work.
The case is Barbara Dalby v. Hunt Oil Company and Mikeal Crosson, Cause No. DC-21-11344 in the 116th Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas.
This settlement by the insurance companies included both Hunt and the driver of the vehicle.
Hunt was ready to go to trial
Goudarzi & Young is a personal injury law firm with a focus on helping those injured in a variety of accidents, including car accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, product injuries and work-related claims. More information at https://goudarziyounglaw.com
The Aldous\Walker LLP law firm represents clients in civil litigation and specializes in high-profile, high-stakes cases. Learn more at http://www.aldouslaw.com.
