Carol A. Smith Secures Significant Trial Result Against Mike Morse in High-Exposure Injury Case

The plaintiff alleged lumbar herniations and stenosis, cervical cord compression, and multiple bilateral shoulder tears. She underwent surgical repair of both shoulders, a three-level lumbar surgery, and was recommended to undergo a two-level cervical fusion. She also claimed that the accident permanently disabled her from continuing her career as a podiatrist.

Throughout litigation, the plaintiff’s demand never dropped below $2.5 million. At trial, the case was tried against prominent Michigan personal injury attorney Mike Morse and his firm, which asked the jury to award $25 million in damages.

Representing the defense, Carol Smith led a trial team that included Associate Teneil Russell and Paralegal Aissa Faye. Through meticulous preparation, strategic cross-examination, and a disciplined presentation of the evidence, the team successfully challenged key aspects of the plaintiff’s damages claims, including the nature, extent, causation, and alleged future impact of the claimed injuries.

After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of $650,000, representing less than 3% of the amount requested at trial and approximately 26% of the plaintiff’s lowest settlement demand during litigation. The verdict is expected to be reduced further before judgment is entered.

Reflecting on the outcome, Smith noted:

“Not every win is a ‘zero.’ The defense accepted responsibility for the collision and acknowledged that the plaintiff was injured. In this constant battle of personal injury attorneys trying to one-up one another, settlement demands are often outrageous. We were blessed with a jury that was truly attentive and rendered a verdict that is fair, just, and in accordance with the evidence.”

The trial team was also supported by intern Leona Apostolovic and Legal Assistant Karrie Ohlsson, whose contributions helped position the defense for success.

The result highlights CMDA’s ability to defend complex, high-exposure cases involving admitted liability, extensive medical treatment, and significant claimed damages. It also demonstrates the strength of the firm’s trial practice when facing some of Michigan’s most well-known personal injury attorneys.