In Estate of Truett v. Wayne County.opn, the Court of Appeals (Judges Servitto (presiding), Beckering, and Fort Hood) unanimously held that a tree lying in the roadbed is not a "defect" within the meaning of the "highway exception" to governmental immunity under the Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA), MCL 691.1401, et seq. I briefed and [...]
Tag: highway defect exception
Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument on “Parallel Parking Space” Defect Case Against Government
Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case of Yono v. Michigan Department of Transportation, Supreme Court Docket No. 146603. I recently filed a supplemental amicus curiae brief on behalf of Oakland County Road Commission, Wayne County and Macomb County Department of Roads, which you can read here: 146603SuppAmicusCMDR. I had previously [...]
No “Prejudice Requirement” or Other Judicial Constructs Can Nullify Strict Compliance with Statutory Notice Provisions to Perfect Claims Against the Government
On November 7, 2013, in Vega v. Gillette, et al., the Court of Appeals ruled a plaintiff who failed to file a notice of an intent to sue the state under MCL 600.6431(3) was barred from suing the government under the motor vehicle exception, MCL 691.1404 of the Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA). The plaintiff was [...]