Michigan Supreme Court Denies Leave in Two of Three Cases Pending to Address Legal Causation Under No-Fault Act for Motorcycle Accidents

Last week I filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the State Farm v. MMRMA case pending on application to the Michigan Supreme Court.  As I mentioned in my last post, there were two other cases, both pending on applications to the Court, which asked the Court to deal with the same [...]

Supreme Court Amicus Brief Filed in State Farm v. MMRMA Case Considering Whether Police Vehicle Pursuing Speeding Motorcyclist Sufficiently “Involved” In Motor Vehicle Accident to Require Apportionment of Liability Among No-Fault Insurance Carriers

I filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Oakland County, Macomb County and Wayne County in this case, urging the Supreme Court to grant Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority's application or, alternatively, to reverse the Court of Appeals.  My brief is attached here:  Supreme Court Amicus Curiae Brief for Oakland, Wayne and Macomb Counties stamped [...]

Supreme Court Denies Challenge to Court of Appeals Holding that Term “Bodily Injury” in Motor Vehicle Exception to Governmental Immunity is Limited to Medical Damages for Corporeal Injury to Body and Does Not Encompass Non-Economic Tort Damages

In an order issued yesterday, Hunter v. Sisco.sct.order.11.20.2013, the Michigan Supreme Court denied an appeal challenging the Court of Appeals published opinion, which held the term "bodily injury" in the statutory provision known as the motor vehicle exception to governmental immunity in the Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA), MCL 691.1405, does not encompass non-economic tort damages, such [...]

Bus Passenger’s Cause of Action Dismissed Against Transportation Commission – Court of Appeals Affirms Trial Court’s Judgment for Transportation Commission

In Palmer v. Blue Water Area Transportation Commission, the Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court's judgment of no cause of action against a governmental entity (here a transportation commission) in a suit by a bus passenger alleging negligence and gross negligence against the governmental entity and its employee, respectively. Plaintiff fell while boarding the bus. [...]

Supreme Court Grants to Consider Whether Governmental Entities are Liable for “Wage Loss” Damages Under No-Fault Act

The Michigan Supreme Court has granted leave to appeal to address whether the "motor vehicle" exception to governmental immunity allows parties to seek economic damages in the form of "wage loss", for bodily injuries arising out of motor vehicle accidents in which a governmental entity is involved.  The Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA) allows suit [...]