Case Results

Brain injury and no-fault insurance law experts David Christensen and Sarah Stempky Kime of Christensen Law recently received the largest ever personal injury verdict in Michigan when a Wayne County jury awarded their client $17.8 million in damages after a serious car accident left her unable to live independently. After eight days of trial, the jury compensated the injured driver by awarding her damages on June 11, 2014 for lost wages, pain and suffering.

Our client, while riding his motorcycle, was hit by a car that crossed the center line, resulting in life-changing injuries. The necessary amputation of his leg at the hip was essential in saving his life, but means he will forever be wheelchair reliant. Additional injuries included a distal femur fracture, left hip disarticulation, pneumothorax, rib fracture, thoracic vertebrae fracture, and a displaced fracture left iliac crest bone.

Our client, a 31-year-old man, was stabbed at a gas station in Ypsilanti, the injury severing his brachial artery amongst other wounds. An underage and unsupervised employee failed to call 911 and/or the police early enough for first responders to arrive and render aid to what was described by experts as a survivable wound. Partners Dave Christensen and Sarah Stempky-Kime argued that the critical minutes that passed before the call was made resulted in the death of our client. An 8-member jury deliberated for 4.5 hours and returned a verdict of negligence and liability of the defendants, awarding 9.5 million to the decedent’s family for pain and suffering and loss of society and companionship

A cable technician was electrocuted while working on a power pole, leaving two young daughters and a wife he met in grade school. We spared no expense, and assembled a team of eleven experts from around the country to prove the case. The intense battle with the power company resulted in justice for the family, which recovered $4.55 million for their future.

This was a third-party auto-negligence case involving our client, an accomplished college student who was a passenger in a vehicle where the Defendant driver ran a stop sign at 50 mph, t-boning another car. Seven years of litigation resulted in a substantial award for non-economic damages of $4,197,000. The award will ensure she receives the support, care, and security to continue healing and fight to reclaim her independence.

A Grand Rapids couple were in their vehicle together when they were hit head-on by another driver. The wife died as a result of the crash and her husband suffered a collapsed lung, a severely broken leg, broken bones in his spine and multiple broken ribs. With trial looming, the defendant’s insurance company agreed to settle the case for $3.2 million.

Our client, while walking in a parking lot, was hit by a car and sustained serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury and a spinal herniation. Attorney Dustin Hoff and his litigation team secured the $3,000,000 settlement for the case heard before Judge Connors in February 2024.

A doctor on his way home from work was struck by concrete falling from a dilapidated freeway overpass. The injuries caused chronic intractable pain requiring pain medications, which led to severe problems with his colon. His case against the Michigan Department of Transportation settled for $2.25 million.

A bicyclist suffered a traumatic brain injury that required inpatient residential care for the rest of his life. When his no-fault insurance company refused to pay for his care, we sued them. After an intense litigation, the insurance company agreed to pay $2 million to settle his case.

A 29-year-old heating/air conditioning technician suffered a brain injury in a car crash. After over a year of rehabilitation, he was only able to return to work on a part-time basis. The jury awarded him $2 million in damages.

A 30-year-old construction laborer was rear ended at about 10 mph. He suffered a whiplash and an acceleration/deceleration brain injury. The defense argued that this was a very mild accident and could not have injured this victim. The jury disagreed and awarded the man $2 million.

A doctor was stopped in his truck and waiting to make a left turn when he was rear-ended at a high rate of speed by another driver. He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and required treatment with numerous specialists. After a very hard-fought case and trial, a Tuscola County jury awarded him $1,933,000 in damages.

Our client, a man from Macomb, Michigan, was violently rear ended by a commercial van. As a result, he sustained serious injuries to his spine and required surgery. Tragically, he died as a result of the surgery. His case against the negligent driver (and the driver’s employer who owned the van) settled for $1.625 million.

A three-year-old boy was picked up and thrown to the floor by his teacher at his daycare facility. The minor plaintiff struck his head and was unconscious for several minutes. He sustained a TBI, axonal shearing/brain damage and frontal lobe impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder; impaired emotional functioning; and impaired cognitive functioning resulting in ongoing emotional and cognitive deficits. The defendant denied that the incident occurred and vigorously contested liability, as well as causation and damages. CLAW trial attorney Tom Economy settled the case for $1,600,000.

A 45-year-old truck driver was rear-ended by a gravel truck, leaving him with a herniated disc which required surgery. As a result of the accident, he could no longer work. The trucking company paid $1.6 million to avoid a trial.

A 35-year-old part-time substitute teacher suffered a mild brain injury in a rear-end car accident. We took the case to trial, and the jury awarded damages of $1.5 million.

A 59-year-old single woman was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. She suffered a concussion that caused ringing in her ears (tinnitus) and headaches. The jury awarded her $1.4 million.

A 36-year-old welder, husband, and father from Midland County was forced off the road by another motorist while on his motorcycle. The accident left him with injuries to his shoulder, neck, and back. He required multiple surgeries. His case settled against the defendant for $1.25 million.

Plaintiff James Boggess was severely injured in a pedestrian vs. car accident in 2015 and again in a second accident three years later. He was subsequently placed in a residential rehab facility for patients suffering from TBI (traumatic brain injury). The Defendants, Farm Bureau, Plaintiff’s insurance company, refused to pay for any treatment, claiming the TBI was unrelated to the primary 2015 accident. Trial attorneys Dustin Hoff and Nora Hanna presented expert witnesses who testified to the original TBI and ongoing struggles due to the accident. After 1.5 hours of deliberations, the jury returned a $1,235,463.35 verdict in the Plaintiff’s favor, awarding the full amount demanded. The insurance company must also now pay for our client’s care for the remainder of his life.

A disabled man was crossing the street in the crosswalk and he was struck by a car. He suffered two broken legs and a mild traumatic brain injury. The defense argued that his pre-existing mental and emotional disabilities were the root of the problem, and not a brain injury. He was awarded $1.2 million in damages.

A 60-year-old long-haul truck driver was rear-ended by another trucker, leaving him with a herniated disc in his back, requiring surgery. We took the case to trial and the jury awarded $1.1 million in damages.

A woman was vacuuming her car at a car wash when another driver crashed into her car, crushing her leg. We took the offending driver to court along with the victim’s insurance company because she wisely had purchased under-insured motorist insurance coverage. The jury found that she was entitled to a full recovery of $1 million.

Our client, a special education teacher, was rear ended by a garbage-hauler that ran a red light at 50 miles per hour and crashed into her pickup truck. She sustained a life-changing traumatic brain injury. Shortly before trial, the garbage truck company agreed to pay her more than $1 million in damages.

A 62-year-old woman suffered a brain injury in a car accident. She required residential care at a head injury clinic. The insurance company disputed that she needed the care, and refused to pay her bills. We took the case to trial and the jury ordered State Farm to pay all bills and her attorney fees.

A 60 year-old woman lost her leg in a car accident, and her insurance company refused to make her home wheelchair-accessible. We fought for her, and relentlessly investigated the insurer. Finally, we discovered that the insurer was hiding critical documents that proved her claim was valid. They were forced to pay for home modifications.