Texas’ Supreme Court has overturned a jury verdict that awarded $90 million to a family who was injured after their F-150 truck crossed a median and hit an 18-wheeler.
In December 2014, Trey Salinas drove his pickup truck on I-20 near Odessa with Jennifer Blake and her three children in the vehicle. Icy conditions caused the vehicle to lose control, cross the median, and collide with a semi-truck from Werner Enterprises, Inc., according to court records.
The collision killed one of Blake’s children and severely injured the others. The Blake family sued Werner Enterprises and Shiraz Ali, who was driving the 18-wheeler.
A district court jury found Werner and Ali liable, appropriating liability as 70 percent to Werner employees other than Ali, 14 percent to Ali, and 16 percent to Salinas (with whom the Blakes settled before trial).
The Blake family was awarded nearly $90 million, with over $68 million awarded to daughter Brianna Blake, who was rendered a permanent quadriplegic.
Werner and Ali appealed to the 14th District Court of Appeals in Houston, where the case was argued before a three-justice panel. After the court of appeals affirmed the district court’s decision, Werner and Ali petitioned for review in the State Supreme Court.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform filed an amicus brief, arguing that the Court should side with Werner and Ali. TLR also slammed the Court of Appeals’ decision.
The Texas Supreme Court decided on June 27 to rule in favor of Werner and Ali, reversing and dismissing the court of appeals’ judgment.
Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote the opinion.
“This awful accident happened because an out-of-control vehicle suddenly skidded across a wide median and struck the defendant’s truck, before he had time to react, as he drove below the speed limit in his proper lane of traffic,” wrote Blacklock. “That singular and robustly explanatory fact fully explains why the accident happened and who is responsible for the resulting injuries.”
The plaintiffs argued that the accident would not have occurred or the injuries would not have been as severe if the 18-wheeler had been operating at a lower speed. The facts of the case established that, while the 18-wheeler was traveling below the speed limit, it was still at an unsafe speed for icy conditions.
However, the Court ruled that “the defendant’s presence on the highway, combined with his speed, furnished the condition that made the injuries possible, but it did not proximately cause the injuries.”
“Rather, the sole proximate cause of this accident and these injuries… was the sudden, unexpected hurtling of the victims’ vehicle into oncoming highway traffic, for which the defendants bore no responsibility,” the opinion continued.
Semi-trucking accidents became a hot topic of discussion during the 2025 legislative session. Texans for Lawsuit Reform supported a proposed measure aimed at restricting the amount of damages victims can receive in lawsuits involving commercial trucking accidents.
The proposal drew fierce opposition from citizen advocates, trial lawyers, and even some lawmakers who saw it as an attack on the rights of Texans injured or killed due to corporate negligence.
Ultimately, the proposal failed to advance out of the legislature.
Following the ruling, State Rep. Mitch Little posted to X, “Werner Enterprises v. Blake was the singular case I was told required not only reforms to trucking law, but also reforms to non-economic damages.”
“The system works without rigging it,” Little continued.
Texas’ Supreme Court decision featured Justices Jimmy Blacklock, John Devine, Brett Busby, Evan Young, and John Sullivan voting to rule in favor of Werner. Justice Evan Young wrote a concurring opinion joined by Justice Rebeca Huddle. Justices Jane Bland, Jeff Boyd, and Rebeca Huddle dissented in part, arguing for a new trial. Justice Debra Lehrmann did not participate.
As far as Texas courts are concerned, Werner and Ali are released from all legal liability.
Neither party’s attorneys responded to Texas Scorecard’s request for comment in time for publication.
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