Author: Jason Waechter | Date: July 1, 2026 | Category: News
Macomb County motorcycle crash verdict
Some motorcycle cases look impossible at first. This one started with a legal presumption against the rider, focus groups that overwhelmingly blamed the motorcyclist, and trial testimony from a police officer who said the crash was entirely our client’s fault.
The result: after a liability-only trial in Macomb County Circuit Court, the jury found the defendant van driver 60% at fault.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case depends on its own facts, evidence, law, and available insurance coverage.
The case arose from a crash where a motorcyclist rear-ended a van that braked suddenly for a police vehicle with lights and sirens activated. From the beginning, the odds were stacked against the rider. Under Michigan law, the case started with a presumption that our client was negligent.
The challenge did not stop there. Before trial, the team conducted three separate focus groups. Again and again, participants assigned between 90% and 100% of the fault to the motorcyclist. If more than 50% of the negligence was assigned to our client, the case would be lost under Michigan’s comparative fault rule.
Many lawyers would have viewed those results as a reason to walk away. THE Motorcycle Lawyer team treated them as a reason to work harder.
The team went back to the evidence, refined the trial presentation, and prepared to show the jury why first impressions did not tell the whole story.
At trial, another major hurdle appeared: the police officer who witnessed the crash testified that it was 100% our client’s fault. The closing argument from Jason Waechter- THE Motorcycle Lawyer® explained that the law allows for exceptions when the evidence supports them.
The evidence showed that the defendant van driver braked suddenly, failed to properly yield to an approaching emergency vehicle, and stopped in the intersection despite having a green light.
After hearing the evidence, the jury found the defendant van driver 60% at fault. That number, by itself, may not seem remarkable, but the shift it represents is significant. We moved from a position where mock juries placed 100% of the blame on the plaintiff to a verdict assigning the majority of fault to the defendant, a complete reversal in outcome. What began as a case projected to recover nothing ultimately resulted in securing 60% of a substantial insurance policy.
That result mattered because it proved something we have always believed: motorcycle cases deserve a full investigation, careful preparation, and a team willing to challenge assumptions.
This case was the product of a tremendous team effort. The trial team included attorneys Jason Waechter, Steve Hardy, Aaron Martinez, and Sean Murphy; jury consultant Steve Hnat; paralegal Mindy Brown; Shelby Seeley on trial audiovisual support; and many additional staff members who helped prepare the case for trial.
We are also grateful to the jury for looking beyond first impressions, carefully weighing the evidence, and reaching a verdict based on the facts.
“This was a case that many people believed could not be won. Our team remained committed to presenting the full story and ensuring our client had the opportunity to be heard.”
Jason Waechter- THE Motorcycle Lawyer®
Motorcycle crashes are often judged too quickly. Insurance companies, police reports, witnesses, and even early case reviews may focus on the rider before every contributing factor has been investigated.
Cases like this show why it is important to examine the full crash scene, driver behavior, emergency vehicle response, timing, roadway conditions, witness testimony, video evidence, and the legal standards that apply.
When you hire THE Motorcycle Lawyer, you are hiring a team that does not back down from difficult cases. Sometimes the cases others say cannot be won are the ones worth fighting the hardest.
Do not let an early assumption decide the outcome. Get the facts reviewed by a team focused on Michigan motorcycle injury and death cases.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Provide a few simple details about your injury and our team will take it from there.
