Motor Vehicle Negligence – Crash video showed force of Tesla rear-end collision

$145,000 verdict

Injuries alleged: Concussion and cervical strain

Case name: Qreitem v. Andrea Kuoni

Court: Fairfax County Circuit Court

Case no.: CL2024-08822

Tried before: Jury

Name of judge: Judge Michelle Kaminsky

Date resolved: Sept. 17, 2025

Special damages: $20,825

Demand: $100,000

Amount: $145,000

Attorneys for plaintiff: Demetry Pikrallidas, Ryan Probasco and Ida Rezvani, Fairfax, Pikrallidas & Probasco

Case description: The defendant, who was driving a Tesla, rear-ended the plaintiff, pushing her into the vehicle in front of her. The crash was captured on video, with footage showing the force of the impact and the plaintiff’s head striking the driver’s side window.

The plaintiff sustained a concussion and musculoskeletal injuries, developing persistent vision issues that prevented her from driving for several months and ultimately led to her termination from employment. The plaintiff had several prior concussions and prior surgical removal of a pituitary adenoma.

The plaintiff’s medical bills totaled $20,825.11, and her lost wages were $13,957.72. The defendant was insured through USAA, with bodily injury limits of $100,000 per person. The plaintiff carried $250,000 per person in UIM coverage through State Farm. Liability was denied until the week before trial. The plaintiff demanded the defendant’s policy limits, but the only offer made was $20,000.

The plaintiff presented testimony by a neurosurgeon and a family physician, both of whom diagnosed a concussion. The neurosurgeon testified that the plaintiff’s ongoing vision deficits were permanent. The defense’s medical expert opined that the plaintiff did not sustain a concussion. On cross-examination, however, it was established that the defense medical expert discounted multiple documented symptoms and had not been provided with the crash video demonstrating the mechanism of injury.

At the end of a three-day trial, the jury returned a verdict of $145,000, exceeding the defendant’s $100,000 policy limits and triggering UIM exposure after a final offer of $20,000.