Motorcyclist arrested after Summit Township pursuit crash

A motorcyclist was treated at a hospital and taken into jail custody after crashing during a pursuit Wednesday night, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said.

A deputy tried to stop the motorcycle around 9:26 p.m. Nov. 11 near Oakdale Avenue in Summit Township. Authorities said the rider accelerated away and crashed a short time later in the curves of Cascades Park.

Deputies said a loaded handgun was found on the rider. Jackson Community Ambulance took him to Henry Ford Hospital for treatment before he was released into jail custody.

Does a police chase automatically make a department liable?

No. Michigan generally protects government agencies from state negligence lawsuits while they're performing governmental functions. An exception under MCL 691.1405 allows claims for bodily injury or property damage if the employee was using a government vehicle negligently.

In Robinson v. Detroit, the Michigan Supreme Court held that deciding to pursue a fleeing vehicle isn't automatically negligent. For the motor vehicle exception to apply in a pursuit case, the police vehicle must hit the fleeing vehicle, physically cause another vehicle or object to hit it or physically force it off the road or into another vehicle or object.

The court also held that police owe a duty of care to innocent people, but not to a fleeing wrongdoer. Michigan Legal Center explains how these distinctions affect civil claims after a Michigan police chase crash.

Get help from Michigan Legal Center

Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles motorcycle injury and police misconduct claims.

If you were injured in a crash involving a police pursuit, Contact Michigan Legal Center to ask whether the matter is within Michigan Legal Center's practice areas.

There is no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you. Case costs and fee terms are governed by the written fee agreement.