Tractor-trailer driver denied liability in rear-end crash – $920,000 Verdict

Plaintiff was stopped in morning rush-hour traffic on I-66 in Fairfax County when she was rear-ended by a fully loaded tractor-trailer. Eyewitnesses testified that traffic had been stopped for several minutes. The truck driver and his employer denied liability and claimed that the plaintiff and other drivers suddenly moved into his lane.

Type of action: Personal injury – auto/tractor-trailer accident
Injuries alleged: Mild traumatic brain injury, torn mesentery, tinnitus, lumbar and thoracic spine injuries, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder
Name of case: Nilles v. JK Enterprise Landscape Supply LLC, et al.
Court: Fairfax Circuit Court
Case no.: CL-2012-0014659
Tried before: Jury
Judge: John Tran
Date: April 24, 2014
Special damages: Approximately $100,000 in medical expenses
Verdict or settlement: Verdict
Amount: $920,000
Attorneys for plaintiff: Edward L. Norwind, Rockville, Md.; Demosthenes Komis, Alexandria/Rockville, Md.
Attorney for defendant: John J. O’Neill Jr., Fairfax
Plaintiff’s experts: Ruben Cintron, M.D., neurology; Mark Soltany, M.D., otolaryngology; Mayo Friedlis, M.D., physical rehabilitation and pain management; William Carter, M.D., family practice
Defendant’s experts: Donald Hope, M.D., neurosurgery, Gary Kay, Ph.D., neuropsychology
Insurance carrier: Hanover Insurance