Verdicts & Settlements

A long-haul driver swerved to avoid a hit-and-run driver, and despite heroically avoiding killing the hit-and-run driver, suffered a severe wrist injury when his rig jack-knifed. The employer and insurance company fought the claim. We won a $750,000 arbitration award. The insurance company filed an appeal to overturn the award. We won $1.2 million — for a severely broken wrist.

Usually, large verdicts are the result of large economic loss — wage loss, medical care costs, etc. In this case, there was no economic loss, but we produced a “day-in-the-life” video with the help of a television production company. The video not only conveyed the wonderful nature of the victim, but also was a beautiful memento for the family.

A driver failed to properly observe the oncoming motorcyclist and pulled out from a stop sign. The insurance company used a complex defense, and claimed that the car driver was not entitled to coverage. To win compensation, first we needed to prove there was insurance coverage. We won both issues.

A snowmobile traveling on the side of a highway ran into the back of a parked car, killing the snowmobiler. We proved scientifically that the snowmobile's headlight was on and the snowmobiler was obeying the law, but the truck was parked hazardously.

Usually a worker cannot sue if she is injured on workplace premises. In this case, we proved a contractor wrongly designed a new area of the factory. A worker fell through a floor grate and drowned in a vat.

An employee was killed when a scissor-lift bucket he was using to repair overhead pipes crushed him against an overhead pipe. The company that originally designed the machine had gone out of business and there was no insurance. We located a successor corporation with a $1,000,000 insurance policy that provided coverage for the incident.

An untrained worker was struck by a hazardous tree limb. The landowner was found liable. The key to the case was researching legal doctrine, and defending the case on appeal.

When a local developer wanted to build a 10-story building in downtown Traverse City, local environment groups and concerned citizens questioned whether the City had done enough to ensure the proposal wouldn’t negatively impact the character, infrastructure, and financial stability of the city. Parsons Law Firm represented these groups in a challenge filed against the City of Traverse City. The Honorable Philip Rodgers overturned the City’s award of a special land use permit in a significant opinion. Learn more about the ruling in the Traverse City Record Eagle.

A young man hung himself after 70 days in jail on his first DUI. He survived but suffered brain damage. We proved it was not an accident. When he protested jail policy, a jailer dared him to hang himself.

After the secretary settled the original whistleblower suit (the verdict of $1.1 million) the former employer cancelled her health benefit. We again filed suit — the 3rd suit in this series of cases.