The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday, February 17, 2015, that insurance coverage was not available to an employer (Delphi) merely because the insurers had errantly listed the employer on forms required to be filed with the state to notify it of the existence of workers' compensation insurance. Delphi had multiple subsidiaries, some of which [...]
Category: Michigan Court of Appeals Unpublished Opinions
In Michigan, Michigan Court Rule (MCR) 7.215(C)(1)currently provides that “[a]n unpublished opinion is not precedentially binding under the rule of stare decisis. A party who cites an unpublished opinion must provide a copy of the opinion to the court and to the opposing parties with the brief or other paper in which the citation appears.”
Michigan High Court to Address Scope of “Gross Negligence” Exception to Governmental Immunity
In an order issued on December 23, 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court has granted oral argument to consider the state's application in this wrongful death case. (Estate of Beals.Order). The plaintiff is the estate of an individual who was a student at a state technical college that provided vocational and technical training to individuals with [...]
Employee Driving Company Truck to Job Site Not “In the Course and Scope of Employment” Under Workers Disability Compensation Act
The Court of Appeals (in a 2-1 majority opinion) issued a significant case yesterday, albeit unpublished, holding that an employee driving a company vehicle to a job site location in another part of the state was not "in the course and scope of his employment" when injured in a traffic accident while en route to [...]
Missing Pane of Glass from Public Bus Shelter Not a Defective or Dangerous Condition Sufficient to State Cause of Action Against Public Bus Authority Under “Public Building” Exception to Governmental Immunity
The Summary Disposition Standard Debate This case highlights a current conflict among the Court of Appeals. There is a current “debate” among Court of Appeals panels in recent opinions about the sufficiency of pleading a cause of action against the government when assessing the government’s motion for summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(7), which provides for [...]
“Gross Negligence” Exception to Governmental Immunity Under Attack in Cases Against First Responders / Law Enforcement Officers
The Court of Appeals has released two cases that appear to undermine the meaning of the "statutory" "gross negligence" exception, MCL 691.1407(2) under Michigan's Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA). The GTLA, MCL 691.1401 et seq., provides immunity for law enforcement officers and other individual governmental employees engaged in the discharge of a governmental function and while [...]