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Case Outcomes

Attorneys Joslin and Collier Obtain Summary Disposition for Law Firm

Attorneys Richard A. Joslin and Trent B. Collier Obtain Summary Disposition for Law Firm – In the case of Reese v Attorney, the plaintiff’s decedent was involved in an automobile accident and retained the defendant law firm to represent her. Because the decedent did not have a primary care physician, the firm provided her with…

Court Grants Motion for Summary Disposition in Oakland County Circuit Court for National Pet Store Chain Sued in Dog-bite Case

Attorneys Kevin P. Moloughney and Scott J. Pawlak successfully obtained summary disposition in favor of a national pet store chain in a dog-bite case. The Court, agreeing with the defendant, found that Plaintiff’s claims failed because: 1) there was no precedent under either ordinary negligence or premises liability principles to impose a leash length requirement to protect customers from dogs owned by third parties, 2) there was no evidence that the pet store had prior knowledge of the dog’s vicious behavior, and 3) there was no evidence that the dog bite was created by the defendant’s active negligence. The Court also dismissed Plaintiff’s claims for negligent infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium.

David C. Anderson obtains a “no cause for action” jury verdict for lawyer-client sued in Oakland County Circuit Court

Hall v Lawyer-Client – On November, 16, 2015, David C. Anderson obtained a “no cause for action” jury verdict in favor of his lawyer-client who was sued in Oakland County Circuit Court for alleged legal malpractice and fraud. Plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award more than $600,000 in damages due to the lawyer’s alleged…

Lujan and Melkonian Win Summary Disposition in Oakland County Circuit Court

Attorneys Deborah A. Lujan and Kari L. Melkonian won summary disposition in Oakland County Circuit Court in a premises liability case. Plaintiff alleged that she tripped and fell on a step-down area in a newly constructed concrete island located outside of the defendant’s restaurant location, causing her to sustain serious injuries and related wage-loss. A…

Defending Professional Liability Claims in Bankruptcy Court

By David C. Anderson Strangers in a strange land. That’s how many defense lawyers and claims examiners feel when defending an insured lawyer in bankruptcy court after the client has filed for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy trustees, creditors’ committees and liquidating trusts make very dangerous plaintiffs. And many defense lawyers feel like they have been dragged into…

Court Grants Motion for Summary Disposition in Favor of Insurance Agency

Attorneys David C. Anderson and Jason M. Renner successfully argued an independent insurance agency was not liable for an alleged failure to add an additional named insured to an auto insurance policy. The suit was brought in Macomb County Circuit Court by three individuals: (1) the named insured, (2) the named insured’s son, and (3)…

David C. Anderson and Trent B. Collier successfully defend Texas insurance agency

David C. Anderson and Trent B. Collier successfully defended a Texas insurance agency, obtaining a published opinion from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that rejected the plaintiff’s attempt to expand insurance-agent liability under Michigan law. The plaintiff represented the estate of a man who died from injuries he sustained when a bounce house at…

Court Denies Motion for Leave to Add Dismissed Premises Owner Back into Case

Attorneys Deborah A. Lujan and Kari L. Melkonian successfully defended a motion for leave to add a premises owner in a slip and fall case in the Wayne County Circuit Court. The premises owner had already been summarily dismissed from the matter based on the open and obvious doctrine. After unsuccessfully moving for reconsideration, the…

Court Summarily Dismisses Counterclaim, Affirmed on Appeal

Michael J. Sullivan and Jason M. Renner obtained summary disposition of plaintiff’s counterclaim for legal malpractice (and several other torts) on the basis that plaintiff had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. The plaintiff brought his counterclaim in response to a lawsuit initiated by a law firm that sought recovery…

New Report Available: Asbestos Claims and Litigation – 2013 and 2014 New Case Filing Summary and Analysis

The ALRA Group (Asbestos Liability Risk Analysis Group), of which CEF attorney Clayton F. Farrell is a founding member, has recently released their latest report Asbestos Claims and Litigation — Update and Review: 2013 and 2014 New Case Filing Summary and Analysis. This comprehensive report is based on the original report issued in a 2006,…

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