Lyons & Simmons Trial Lawyers Secure Record Verdict

Midland jury finds DanCar Industries and its worker negligent in collision that killed three children

DALLAS – A jury in Midland County has returned a $5.9 million verdict against Glen Rose, Texas-based energy construction company DanCar Energy Construction, LLC, finding it responsible for a 2017 multiple-fatality accident caused by an employee speeding to a jobsite in inclement weather.

Jurors agreed that both DanCar and its employee bore responsibility for the collision. The company’s policy required that workers “show up” and sign in on inclement weather days to get paid.

The verdict, which was one of the first trials for Midland County since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, is reportedly the largest verdict in the county for a wrongful death personal injury case. Michael Lyons, Chris Simmons, Chris Carr and Stephen Higdon of the Dallas-based trial firm Lyons & Simmons represented Neva Rogers who lost three of her children in the tragic crash.

The January 2017 wreck occurred on Highway 158 southeast of Midland when Luis Rangel Jr. lost control of his truck on a slick road, sliding into oncoming traffic, and slamming into the car driven by Kantrell Hires, who was traveling with his children – ages 16, 14 and 12.

Mr. Hires and all three children died. Mr. Rangel was later convicted of four counts of criminally negligent homicide.

“This was a case about a company policy that should never have been in place, and needed to end before another parent had to experience the type of unthinkable tragedy Neva has endured. I’m so proud that this jury told the industry this kind of policy is dangerous and this practice should end,” said Mr. Lyons.

“We were repeatedly told we were wrong about this case. We were told we could not win this case in this jurisdiction,” said Mr. Simmons. “We are thankful that the Midland County jury saw that this was not just a simple case of careless driving—this was a dangerous policy.”

The case is Neva Rogers, et al. vs. Luis Rangel, Jr. & DanCar Energy Construction, LLC, Midland County 385th District Court, Case No. CV5442.

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