News Categories: Appeals

March 2024

Stacey McDaniel Joins FBMJ as Associate Principal

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip, PLLC is pleased to announce the hiring of attorney Stacey McDaniel as an Associate Principal with the firm. Stacey’s practice focuses on defending health care professionals and organizations in complex medical malpractice claims. Her areas of expertise include neurosurgery, anesthesiology, orthopedics, neurology, birth trauma, cosmetic surgery,

February 2022

2022 Limitation on Noneconomic Damages

On January 28, 2022, the State of Michigan Department of Treasury released the 2022 limitations on noneconomic damages for claims alleging medical malpractice. The “upper cap” was adjusted to $887,500 (an increase of $36,500 compared to 2021). The “lower cap” was adjusted to a limitation of $497,000 (an increase of $20,400 compared to

January 2022

SCOTUS Strikes Down One Vaccine Mandate, Upholds Another

On January 13, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate that was to apply to all large employers. That same day, the Supreme Court upheld the administration’s vaccine mandate that applies to healthcare workers at healthcare facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid.  These

December 2021

Supreme Court Orders End of Mandatory Case Evaluation Effective Jan. 1, 2022

The Michigan Supreme Court has amended the Michigan Court Rules to eliminate the requirement that all civil cases go through the Case Evaluation process. Instead, the parties will now be able to stipulate to an alternative process to resolve the case – facilitation or mediation. Additionally, the amendments remove the

September 2021

Anthony Pignotti Co-Authors Article for Michigan Defense Quarterly

FBMJ attorney, Anthony D. Pignotti recently co-authored an article titled, “Litigating the Value of Medical-Expense Damages,” published in the Michigan Defense Quarterly (Vol. 38, No.1, 2021), a publication of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC). The article discusses recoverable economic damages in civil actions and focuses specifically on issues related to medical-expenses damages.

September 2021

Local Government Forced to Issue Bonds to Pay RLUIPA Legal Fees

A New York case is the latest example of why local governments should proceed carefully in RLUIPA litigation to avoid costly outcomes. In the case of the Village of Pomona, NY (Pomona), a RLUIPA case that has dragged on for more than a decade – bouncing from the district court

September 2021

Credentialing Case Closed: COA Rules Ambulatory Surgical Center Credentialing File Privileged

Is an ambulatory outpatient surgical center’s credentialing file discoverable and admissible at trial? No and no, according to the Michigan Court of Appeals’ published decision in Dorsey v. Surgical Institute of Michigan, where the Court extended the statutory protection for credentialing files beyond hospitals to also include ambulatory surgical centers. The

April 2021

Unlicensed = Uncapped?

Claims against an unlicensed medical assistant employed by a non-profit medical institution sound in ordinary negligence and are not subject to the non-economic medical malpractice damages cap—at least according to the Michigan Court of Appeals’ recent published decision in Estate of John Swanzy v. Edward J. Kryshak, M.D., et al. If it