GLM's Michael Edmunds Victorious in PIP Case

April 12, 2005

On Friday March 11, 2005, GLM attorney Michael Edmunds tried a PIP case to a jury in Ypsilanti for State Farm. The jury awarded State Farm a no cause. Judge John Collins, district court, presided. Mr. Edmunds is an associate attorney and works in the Grand Blanc office.

Plaintiff Mattie Holiday Johnson was laid off from work as a welder when she was rear ended in a low speed accident that caused little damage to either vehicle. She had pre-existing injuries to neck and back and knee from prior motor vehicle accidents and work related injuries. State Farm paid for medical treatment and wage loss for about a year until an IME with Dr. Singer determined that she had reached pre-accident status, required no further treatment, and could return to work unrestricted. Her treating family physician and treating ortho disagreed with Singer. She sought about $50,000 in wage loss.

Mr. Edmunds argued that there was no objective explanation for plaintiff's subjective complaints, that the reason she was not working was because she could not find work as a welder, and that she was litigious. He called the claims rep to testify that plaintiff, who hobbled to the stand with great fanfare on direct, had no trouble walking once the jury left the courtroom for break.

Highlight of the trial: when plaintiff testified that she could not remember how many lawsuits she had been in and that she did not keep track of such things, whereupon she was asked exactly when she lost track of how many lawsuits she had been in, after the 5th, the 6th, or the 7th?