Ann Arbor office · Serving Washtenaw County
Local help for Washtenaw County built around the evidence, coverage, defendants, and law that fit your actual case. The first review is free.
Call about an Ann Arbor matter when a fall, trench, scaffold, electrical, struck-by, caught-between, equipment, demolition, road-work, or other construction event caused medical care, work loss, serious injury, or death. The first Ann Arbor review identifies the employer-benefit track, site owner and developer, general contractor and construction manager, subcontract scopes, actual control, permits and inspections, safety records, equipment and vehicle roles, insurance, and possible third-party claims. University, hospital, downtown, apartment, road, utility, and private projects can cross city, institutional, county, state, owner, contractor, and employer record systems. Ann Arbor cases often involve university traffic, regional commuters, US-23 and I-94 crashes, downtown video, campus-related evidence, and treatment through a major academic medical system. The broader service area includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Plymouth, Canton, Monroe, Milan, and Dexter. Treatment can involve University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and regional rehabilitation providers. Potential court paths: Washtenaw County Trial Court, Ann Arbor district courts, Monroe County courts, and federal court may be involved depending on the defendants; the correct forum and parties still require claim-specific review. Local corridors and incident locations include US-23, I-94, M-14, State Street, Washtenaw Avenue, Stadium Boulevard, and downtown Ann Arbor all create local evidence issues. Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. The file should separate the employer-benefit track from possible non-employer claims and verify owner, developer, general-contractor, subcontractor, property, equipment, vehicle, permit, inspection, actual-control, and safety-record roles. The Michigan construction accident guide explains the statewide law; this page is limited to the Ann Arbor record and decision points.
Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. The file should separate the employer-benefit track from possible non-employer claims and verify owner, developer, general-contractor, subcontractor, property, equipment, vehicle, permit, inspection, actual-control, and safety-record roles.
Jobsites change daily. Equipment moves, hazards are corrected, materials disappear, crews rotate, video is overwritten, and contracts, daily reports, safety files, and machine data remain with different companies.
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Police and road agencies, platforms, drivers, passengers, vehicle owners, private camera holders, transit or parking systems, insurers, and medical providers may each hold a different part of the record.
Injured person, coworkers, responders, Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. Site and image sources may include campus facilities, city parking, transit vehicles, hospitals, downtown businesses, apartments, fleet cameras, bicycles, and involved vehicles. The actual Ann Arbor condition and mechanism should be preserved before work, cleanup, repair, demolition, or equipment movement changes it.
Property owner, developer, construction manager, general contractor, subcontractors, employer, designers, suppliers, and project-management systems. Contracts and actual conduct may identify who undertook or controlled particular work; a title alone does not establish a civil duty.
Ann Arbor permits and inspections, U-M or other institutional project records, owners, designers, general contractors, subcontractors, employers, equipment providers, and MIOSHA. These records may document the project and response, but a permit, inspection, rule, investigation, or citation does not automatically prove negligence or causation.
Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. The file should separate the employer-benefit track from possible non-employer claims and verify owner, developer, general-contractor, subcontractor, property, equipment, vehicle, permit, inspection, actual-control, and safety-record roles.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Evidence | Possible holder | Why it may matter |
|---|---|---|
| Unchanged site, condition, access, fall protection, trench, scaffold, electrical source, material, vehicle, machine, tool, photographs, measurements, witnesses, and video | Injured person, coworkers, responders, Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. Site and image sources may include campus facilities, city parking, transit vehicles, hospitals, downtown businesses, apartments, fleet cameras, bicycles, and involved vehicles | The actual Ann Arbor condition and mechanism should be preserved before work, cleanup, repair, demolition, or equipment movement changes it. |
| Owner, developer, construction-manager, general-contractor, subcontract, scope, schedule, change order, daily report, meeting, and actual-control records | Property owner, developer, construction manager, general contractor, subcontractors, employer, designers, suppliers, and project-management systems | Contracts and actual conduct may identify who undertook or controlled particular work; a title alone does not establish a civil duty. |
| Permit, plan, inspection, safety program, hazard analysis, training, toolbox talk, incident, MIOSHA, maintenance, and equipment files | Ann Arbor permits and inspections, U-M or other institutional project records, owners, designers, general contractors, subcontractors, employers, equipment providers, and MIOSHA | These records may document the project and response, but a permit, inspection, rule, investigation, or citation does not automatically prove negligence or causation. |
| Employment, workers compensation, third-party insurance, medical, wage, functional, lien, and future-care proof | University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and regional rehabilitation providers; employer and carrier, non-employer defendants and insurers, treating providers, unions when applicable, family witnesses, and the injured worker | Employer benefits, MCL 418.827 third-party claims, liability, medical causation, reimbursement, comparative fault, and damages require coordinated but separate files. |
University, hospital, downtown, apartment, road, utility, and private projects can cross city, institutional, county, state, owner, contractor, and employer record systems. Ann Arbor cases often involve university traffic, regional commuters, US-23 and I-94 crashes, downtown video, campus-related evidence, and treatment through a major academic medical system. The broader service area includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Plymouth, Canton, Monroe, Milan, and Dexter. Treatment can involve University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and regional rehabilitation providers. Potential court paths: Washtenaw County Trial Court, Ann Arbor district courts, Monroe County courts, and federal court may be involved depending on the defendants; the correct forum and parties still require claim-specific review.
The file should separate the employer-benefit track from possible non-employer claims and verify owner, developer, general-contractor, subcontractor, property, equipment, vehicle, permit, inspection, actual-control, and safety-record roles. We move quickly on AAPD, Washtenaw County, campus-area, business-video, medical-record, and insurer evidence before it becomes harder to obtain.
University, hospital, downtown, apartment, road, utility, and private projects can cross city, institutional, county, state, owner, contractor, and employer record systems. Possible official and private holders include Ann Arbor permits and inspections, U-M or other institutional project records, owners, designers, general contractors, subcontractors, employers, equipment providers, and MIOSHA; a permit or title does not decide civil responsibility.
Workers compensation, a non-employer third-party claim, premises or equipment liability, public-project rules, vehicle coverage, liens, and damages should not be collapsed into one theory across Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Plymouth, Canton, Monroe, Milan, and Dexter.
Sources checked Michigan Legislature: MCL 418.131 workers compensation exclusivity Michigan Legislature: MCL 418.827 third-party liability MIOSHA construction standards index Ann Arbor public-records request Ann Arbor construction inspections · Checked August 13, 2026
These are possible legal paths, not automatic claims. The answer depends on the event, defendant, policy, injuries, forum, and current law.
The employer-benefit relationship, notice, medical care, wage loss, disability, and exclusivity questions should be handled separately from possible claims against non-employers.
A third-party claim requires supported duty, actual undertaking or control, breach, causation, injury, and damages for the owner, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, equipment actor, or property defendant at issue.
Permits, inspections, standards, investigations, work vehicles, public projects, commercial policies, No-Fault, liens, and reimbursement can matter without making a citation or job title conclusive.
Answer five short questions to organize the timing, harm, possible claims, evidence risk, and current status. There is no sign-up and no dollar estimate. Your answers are included only if you submit the free case review below. The result is general information, not legal advice.
Question 1 of 5
The primary authorities below support the legal framework. They do not replace a claim-specific deadline, coverage, immunity, or liability analysis.
MCL 418.131 addresses the employer exclusive-remedy rule, while MCL 418.827 preserves a potential action against a responsible third party and creates coordination or reimbursement issues.
Michigan construction standards address many hazards, including falls, scaffolds, excavation, electrical work, mobile equipment, demolition, steel erection, and confined space. The correct standard and covered actor depend on the work.
A permit, inspection, safety rule, MIOSHA investigation, citation, contract title, or accident report may be evidence, but does not automatically establish civil duty, breach, causation, damages, or every defendant.
Record the exact location, date and time, people, vehicles or equipment, movements and impacts, conditions, responders, witnesses, cameras, reports, post-event handling, care, and insurer contacts.
Unchanged site, condition, access, fall protection, trench, scaffold, electrical source, material, vehicle, machine, tool, photographs, measurements, witnesses, and video: Injured person, coworkers, responders, Ann Arbor Police and FOIA staff, U-M departments, Washtenaw County, road agencies, employers, institutions, property operators, contractors, and insurers may each hold a different record. Site and image sources may include campus facilities, city parking, transit vehicles, hospitals, downtown businesses, apartments, fleet cameras, bicycles, and involved vehicles Owner, developer, construction-manager, general-contractor, subcontract, scope, schedule, change order, daily report, meeting, and actual-control records: Property owner, developer, construction manager, general contractor, subcontractors, employer, designers, suppliers, and project-management systems Permit, plan, inspection, safety program, hazard analysis, training, toolbox talk, incident, MIOSHA, maintenance, and equipment files: Ann Arbor permits and inspections, U-M or other institutional project records, owners, designers, general contractors, subcontractors, employers, equipment providers, and MIOSHA Employment, workers compensation, third-party insurance, medical, wage, functional, lien, and future-care proof: University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and regional rehabilitation providers; employer and carrier, non-employer defendants and insurers, treating providers, unions when applicable, family witnesses, and the injured worker
A jobsite injury, permit, failed inspection, MIOSHA investigation, safety rule, or citation does not automatically establish a civil duty, breach, causation, damages, or every responsible party. The employer, general contractor, owner, subcontractor, equipment provider, and property actor are not interchangeable; workers compensation and third-party liability require separate legal and factual proof.
Apply the correct Michigan law to the verified Ann Arbor parties, work and vehicle relationships, policies, public actors, medical proof, liens, damages, and claim-specific timing before any release.
Actual review excerpts about injury representation, communication, medical-bill pressure, and support. The page-specific claim still depends on its own evidence, law, and deadlines.
We have not gone to trial yet, but for the past 2 years I wouldn't choose anyone else to stand behind me and my child. If you want injury lawyers and team members who actually care, CHOOSE Christopher Trainor.
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I recently had the pleasure of working with Chris Trainor, Amy DeRouin and their dedicated team regarding two personal claims. I cannot recommend them highly enough! From our very first consultation, it was clear that I was in capable and caring hands. I would trust them with any personal legal matter.
Built on the local record.
Scene evidence, agency files, court practice, and medical proof in Ann Arbor shape what a claim actually is. The Ann Arbor office builds that record first, then evaluates resolution.
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Serving Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Plymouth, Canton, Monroe, Milan, and Dexter.
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