Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. v. Sevcik

Neither a plaintiffs poverty nor a defendant’s wealth can help a jury decide whose negligence caused an accident. 1 Even though punitive damages were not at issue in this collision case, the plaintiffs tendered evidence that the defendant’s annual revenues were $1.9 billion. Because this evidence was inadmissible, and the record reflects that it probably caused an improper verdict, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

I. Background

Michael Sevcik and Cathy Loth were injured in a highway accident west of Houston when they were hit from behind by a tractor trailer owned by Reliance Steel &…