Wrongful Death Truck Case Settles for $6.09 Million, Ranked Ninth Among All Texas Settlements in 2019

On September 7, 2018, Nanasha Ra-Nee Mild, 39, died at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, Texas, from injuries she sustained in a collision involving a commercial truck operated by Rodney O'Bryant. O'Bryant drove for Detmar Logistics, a San Antonio-based company specializing in frac sand hauling for oilfield customers across Texas. A lifelong San Angelo resident, Mild had earned All-State softball honors at Central High School and devoted years to animal rescue work in the area, including volunteering with a program that paired service dogs with veterans. She left behind her parents, Stephen and Jeannie Mild, and a young daughter.

Four days after her death, the estate and Mild's parents filed suit in Bexar County District Court, where Detmar Logistics is registered and headquartered. Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff of Sutliff & Stout took the case.

Rather than limit the complaint to the primary carrier, the attorneys examined the layered corporate structure behind the trucking operation and identified additional responsible parties. The complaint named six defendants: Detmar Logistics LLC, Detmar Logistics II Inc., Detmar Logistics Leasing LLC, O'Bryant personally, Good Ol Boy Investments LLC, and the Texas Department of Transportation. Three distinct Detmar entities were named, each reflecting a separate corporate function in the operation. The inclusion of Good Ol Boy Investments LLC and the Texas Department of Transportation extended the liability picture beyond the employer-employee relationship to questions of vehicle ownership and roadway conditions.

The legal theories rested on negligent tort, respondeat superior, and vicarious liability. Respondeat superior tied Detmar directly to O'Bryant's on-duty conduct. Vicarious liability extended accountability to the affiliated corporate entities. A court-appointed guardian ad litem represented Mild's minor daughter, who held a separate wrongful death claim as a surviving child under Texas law.

The case resolved in 2019 with a settlement of $6,087,629. TopVerdict, which tracks civil case outcomes across all Texas courts, ranked the result ninth on its Top 100 Settlements in Texas for 2019, a list that draws from every area of civil litigation and every jurisdiction in the state.