Opinion ID: 2457165
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Gibson v. Spinks

Text: While driving in the course and scope of his employment with the Town of South Padre Island, Daniel Gibson ran a red light, colliding with the vehicle in which Candace Spinks was riding. Spinks, who suffered a lower back injury, sued the Town and Gibson. At trial, the court, sitting without a jury, awarded Spinks $350,000 for her injuries. The court rendered judgment against Gibson and the Town, jointly and severally, for $350,000 plus interest and costs, but further ordered that the Town's liability be limited as a municipality to Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars. See Tex.Civ.Prac. & Rem.Code § 101.023(c). The Town subsequently paid its liability limit of $250,000 to Spinks. Gibson appealed, raising the bar of section 101.106. The court, expressly disagreeing with the court of appeals' holding in Oldham, held that section 101.106 does not bar the rendition of concurrent judgments against a governmental unit and its employee. The court accordingly affirmed the judgment of the trial court. We granted writ of error in both Oldham and Gibson to resolve the conflict concerning the scope of section 101.106.