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Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 

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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 19-20166

Summary Calendar

JAMES-ZACHARY CLIFTON JORDAN,

Plaintiff−Appellant,

versus

NOAH ZAVOLAS,

Defendant−Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

No. 4:18-CV-4

Before DAVIS, SMITH, and HIGGINSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

In this diversity case stemming from an auto accident, the plaintiff 

appeals a take-nothing judgment based on the jury’s answer of “no” to the 

question, “Did the negligence, if any, of Noah Zavolas proximately cause the 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

January 10, 2020

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

Case: 19-20166 Document: 00515267063 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/10/2020
No. 19-20166

2

occurrence in question?” The magistrate judge, who tried the case by consent, 

denied plaintiff’s motion for new trial, succinctly explaining that “under Texas 

law, being the ‘cause’ of an accident does not equate with being negligent.” 

Thus, despite that the defendant admitted to being the cause for having 

crossed the center line on a curve on a slippery road, there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find no negligence.

The judgment is AFFIRMED, essentially for the reasons given by the 

magistrate judge.

Case: 19-20166 Document: 00515267063 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/10/2020