San Antonio Water System trustees have approved a $150,000 settlement for a man who says a SAWS vehicle slammed into the back of his truck on the city's North Side in September 2023, leaving him with four herniated discs, a separated shoulder and a sprained knee. Ryan Villanueva's truck was rear-ended by a SAWS Ford Escort near East Ramsey Road and Jones Maltsberger Road, an intersection along a busy commercial corridor near San Antonio International Airport and McAllister Park.
The settlement, reported by KSAT, comes roughly three years after the crash. According to the station's reporting, Villanueva filed suit in 2025 against the utility. The outlet also reported that he suffered back, shoulder and knee injuries.
SAWS ultimately agreed to pay $150,000. The station noted that Villanueva's attorney did not respond to a phone call seeking comment Monday.
Why the Payout Fell So Far Short of the Claim
Texas law governs lawsuits against government entities. Section 101.021 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code waives governmental immunity for injuries caused by an employee's negligent operation of a motor vehicle while on the job, which is what allowed Villanueva to sue a municipally owned utility in the first place. But that same code caps municipal liability for bodily injury at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per single occurrence under Section 101.023(c).
Texas courts have also addressed how those caps apply. In the 2022 decision *Gulf Coast Center v. Curry*, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Tort Claims Act damage caps function as jurisdictional limits on a court's authority, according to Husch Blackwell. Courts cannot render judgments above the applicable cap.
The Texas Tort Claims Act also addresses individual immunity for government employees, according to Texas Municipal League guidance.
SAWS Board Oversight
San Antonio Water System is overseen by a seven-member Board of Trustees made up of the mayor and six council-appointed members, which governs the utility, according to San Antonio Water System.
Whether Villanueva or his attorney plan any further public response to the settlement remains unclear.
