Federal Judge Upholds $26.5 Million Award to Family in USPS Crash Case

Justice was served for Michael and Dung Le, a Texas couple whose lives were forever altered by a preventable accident involving a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicle. In a resounding victory for the Le family, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor on December 15 rejected the government's attempt to reduce the $26.5 million judgment granted in their lawsuit stemming from the May 2018 collision.

Judge O’Connor’s ruling is available here.

“Mr. and Mrs. Le suffered catastrophic damages due to the negligence of a U.S. postal worker,” said C. Kyle Pugh of Dallas’ C. Kyle Pugh P.C. and lead counsel to Mr. and Mrs. Le. “The attorneys for the United States argued to Judge Reed O’Connor that the damages he awarded were excessive. Judge O’Connor issued a strong and well-reasoned opinion rejecting the United States’ attempt to minimize the Le family’s damages.” 

The collision left Mr. Le a quadriplegic with a host of other debilitating medical issues. The lawsuit alleged that the collision was caused by the negligent driving of a USPS employee who backed a mail truck into Mr. Le's vehicle while driving against the flow of traffic.

Following a four-day bench trial in April 2023, Judge O'Connor found the government liable for the accident and awarded the Le family $26.5 million in damages.

The government contested the award, claiming it was excessive. However, Judge O'Connor firmly rejected their arguments, citing the "unprecedented severity" of Mr. Le's injuries and their profound impact on the entire family.

"In sum, the court concludes that the multitude of severe conditions undergirding Mr. Le's claim present exacerbating factual peculiarities which weigh heavily on his forecasted pain and anguish but are 'not reflected within the controlling caselaw,'" Judge O'Connor wrote.

Judge O’Connor continued: "Mrs. Le has had to endure and continues to endure mental and emotional pain as a result of her husband's suffering. She has become the sole income-earner and, along with her family members, a primary caretaker of her husband. Mrs. Le and the rest of the family experience intense financial strain due to the loss of Mr. Le's financial support."

“The Le family is hopeful that this ruling will end the government’s efforts to avoid responsibility in this tragic and preventable accident,” Pugh said. 

Dallas attorneys Kellie McKee, John Schulman, and Margaret Schulman served as co-counsel to Mr. Pugh.