$16 Million Record Settlement for Motor Vehicle Accident

A semi truck rear-ended a car, resulting in a spinal cord injury that left a 25-year-old man with quadriplegic paralysis. The settlement for the out of state resident covered pain and suffering, mental anguish, decreased enjoyment of life, and excess attendant care and wage loss over and above Michigan No-Fault benefits. This is the largest known settlement in the State of Michigan history for a motor vehicle accident. Future payout will top $20 million and could reach as high as $37 million.

$1.35 Million Settlement for Death by Drunk Driver

A 36-year-old State Farm insurance agent crossed the centerline, killing a 22-year-old local young woman. The defendant was at a golf outing, consumed a number of beers, and alleged that he looked down to pick up his cell phone just prior to crossing the centerline. He was speeding and had a blood-alcohol level of .125. The defendant's insurance company paid its $1.25 million policy limit, and the defendant personally paid the remainder of the settlement.

$1.2 Million Settlement for Motorcycle Injury

Defendant employee unexpectedly attempted to turn his pickup truck left into a private driveway, in front of the retired school teacher's motorcycle. As a result of the crash, the Plaintiff sustained extensive orthopedic injuries. In addition to the $1.2 million for pain and suffering, the No-Fault insurance company paid over $600,000 in benefits.

$1.1 Million Settlement for Injured Driver

A tractor trailer backed into the other lane, resulting in a traumatic brain injury and several herniated discs.

$3 Million Verdict Against the University of Michigan Hospital

The U of M Hospital mixed up the slides of a University of Michigan nurse, which resulted in a misdiagnosis of breast cancer and the performance of an unnecessary mastectomy. 

$214,000 Verdict Against the City of Detroit

A patron stepped into a hidden hole in the Joe Louis Arena parking garage after a Red Wings game, suffering a fractured bone in his foot. The jury found a public building defect, which is an exception to governmental immunity. The city offered $7,500 prior to trial. In addition to the $214,000 verdict, the court ordered almost $60,000 in sanctions against the city for their rejection of the case evaluation award.

$325,000 Settlement for Slip and Fall

A 67-year-old woman fell on a mixture of sand and small stones at the only entranceway to her doctor's office, sustaining a fractured femur. The owner of the building had hired a company to repair the entranceway. Unfortunately, the company decided to do this during business hours, creating a dangerous and hazardous walkway for patients. The employee had waived the Plaintiff onto the walkway, misinforming her that the area was safe to walk on.

$175,000 Premises Liability Settlement

An 82-year-old woman fell when she stepped on an improperly secured flagstone at the front of a northern Michigan rental cottage. The stone tipped causing the woman to fall and suffer a femoral fracture, which required surgery. The cottage was recently built and advertised as being "new constructed, handicap accessible, and wheelchair accessible." 

$600,000 Arbitration Award

An out of state truck driver suffered a serious back injury when struck by a drunk driver in broad daylight, who crossed the center line of Michigan Avenue in Saline.

$585,000 Settlement for Burn Injuries Under 'The Rescue Doctrine'

A local business owner hired the defendant to spread crushed gravel in the business parking lot. The defendant caused the box of his truck to be raised so that it came into contact with the 13,200 volt overhead power line. The defendant exited his truck onto the wet ground but held the grab bar on the truck, which cause him to be electrocuted. The plaintiff, a trained firefighter, reacted by bodyblocking the defendant out of contact with the truck. The plaintiff resulted severe injuries as he was also electrocuted in his rescue attempt. Under 'The Rescue Doctrine' in Michigan, a party whose negligence causes injuries to a rescuer of a victim owes a duty of reasonable care to a potential rescuer.

$1.3 Million Settlement for Medical Malpractice

A botched delivery of a new born resulted in neuromuscular deficits, ventilator dependency and a C-2 spinal injury.

$700,000 Uninsured Motorist Settlement

A back seat passenger, who was stationed on a coastguard cutter, was killed when struck by a car whose driver was drunk and uninsured. Through extensive litigation, the court ruled that the deceased man's parents' automobile insurance was required to provide uninsured motorist coverage for the crash. The defendant's parent's out of state insurance company disputed the coverage based on the fact that the defendant was in the military. The claim for lost love, society, and companionship was settled fro $700,000 on the eve of trial.

$150,000 Settlement for Fall at Self-Serve Carwash

A young woman suffered a distal radius fracture, when she fell on a green tire-cleaning fluid that started gushing out of a hose and PVC tubing from above her car. The owner of the carwash was negligent in failing to properly inspect the carwash equipment and to properly maintain it.

$850,000 Settlement for Pedestrian Death

A 93-year-old woman drove her car into the shopping cart that a 61 year-old housewife was pushing in the crosswalk area of a Meijer's store, which resulting in the woman striking her head on the ground. She died three days later due to neurological injuries. The defendant claimed a sudden emergency, claiming her car suddenly accelerated. The crash data recorder in the defendant's vehicle demonstrated that she applied the accelerator prior to the impact.

$256,000 Settlement for an Injured Passenger

A negligent driver led to a car rollover in which the passenger suffered internal injuries.

$580,000 Settlement for Injured Driver

The defendant driver ran a red light and hit the plaintiff tow-truck driver, aggravating a prior closed head injury.

$400,000 Ohio Settlement for Injured Driver

A car veered into the wrong lane during a snowstorm, resulting in multiple bone fractures.

$600,000 Settlement for a Pedestrian Hit by a Limousine

A pedestrian was hit by a limousine during a multiple car pileup on the highway as a result of black ice. This resulted in a loss of leg muscle tissue.

$3.5 Million Settlement for Medical Malpractice

A traumatic forceps delivery resulted in a skull fracture and brain damage to a newborn child.

$750,000 Settlement Against Municipality

An arm injury was sustained at the city's water treatment plant.

$845,000 Settlement for Injured Driver

The brakes of a poorly maintained truck failed, resulting in a closed head injury for a minor.

$100,000 Settlement for Motor Vehicle Injury

An insurance policy limits settlement was reached for an injury from a motor vehicle crash.

$500,000 Settlement for Injury

A utility line fell injuring the plaintiff.

$500,000 Settlement for Head-On Crash that Killed Defendant

A driver was severely injured when the defendant crossed the double yellow center line and rumble strip in a head-on collision.

$463,000 Condemnation Suit Award Against Township