July 21, 2026

FARMINGTON HILLS – QPWB Senior Partner Michael Watt and Partner Brian Frasier successfully secured a complete defense victory in a high-stakes premises liability trial in the Wayne County Circuit Court. Facing a $575,000 initial monetary demand stemming from a workplace fork truck accident, the defense team stood firm through a full jury trial, resulting in a "no cause of action" verdict and a final monetary award of $0.00.

Overview of the Case

The litigation arose from a premises liability lawsuit filed by a Plaintiff who was employed by a shipping company. While operating a fork truck on a commercial job site, the Plaintiff drove the forks of the vehicle into the edge of a manhole cover, alleging that the cover was dangerously elevated from the parking lot surface and constituted an unreasonably hazardous condition. Because workers' compensation rules barred the Plaintiff from suing his direct employer, he targeted the property management company.

Key Difference-Makers

• Michael Watt – Senior Partner, Farmington Hills
• Brian Frasier – Partner, Farmington Hills

Administrative Support

• Jennifer Freeman - Paralegal
• Ashlynn Buczniewicz – Paralegal
• Kim Ramsey – Legal Assistant

Claims Made Against Our Client

The Plaintiff pursued recovery under a theory of premises liability, alleging significant physical trauma including a severe forehead laceration, a broken nose requiring surgical reduction, a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a cervical spine injury. In building this claim, the Plaintiff maintained that the property management company exercised exclusive possession and control of the premises, arguing that the management firm was liable because it was contractually responsible for executing semi-annual property inspections and coordinating ongoing site maintenance.

To anchor these allegations at trial, opposing counsel presented live testimony from four treating physicians who linked the Plaintiff’s extensive head, brain, and spinal injuries directly to the fork truck collision. The opposition also focused heavily on establishing that the property management company was deeply intertwined with the underlying property owner, attempting to blur the lines between the separate corporate entities to maximize the potential corporate exposure.

Defense Strategy

The QPWB team executed a multi-layered strategy that combined sophisticated risk transfer with targeted credibility impeachment. First, Watt leveraged the governing lease agreement, which required the tenant shipping company to defend and indemnify the property owner. By systematically shifting the operational liability, the defense successfully executed a transfer of risk from the client's initial national insurance carrier to the tenant's insurance carrier, insulating the asset owners.

Though the court denied a pre-trial Motion for Summary Disposition regarding possession and control, Watt and Frasier focused their trial defense on the core element of the claim: the credibility of the Plaintiff and his spouse.

The defense conducted an exhaustive background and social media investigation, uncovering critical evidence that directly contradicted the couple's trial narrative of an unblemished, ideal pre-accident life.

When the Plaintiff's wife testified that the accident had transformed her husband into an aggressive, ill-tempered individual, Watt conducted a measured cross-examination. He questioned whether the Plaintiff had ever exhibited violent behavior during their 30 years together. After she answered negatively, Watt introduced a 2018 incident in which the Plaintiff had pleaded guilty to felonious assault with a deadly weapon, resulting in a two-year prison sentence.

Opposing counsel attempted a re-direct examination to salvage the testimony, which backfired when the wife inadvertently revealed that the 2018 prison stay resulted from the Plaintiff stabbing her son with a knife during a domestic dispute.

Throughout the trial, Watt and Frasier maintained a respectful, professional tone, avoiding any heavy-handed tactics while anchoring the jury to a nominal valuation of $10,000 during voir dire, opening statements, and closing arguments.

Impact on Final Outcome

The strategic focus on pure credibility and the physical reality of the property completely dismantled the Plaintiff's case. Despite the gravity of the medical testimonies presented by the opposition, the defense team’s measured exposure of the family's conflicting history shattered the panel's trust in the claims.

Following the close of proof and a denied motion for a directed verdict, the case was handed to the jury. The panel deliberated for just 50 minutes before returning a total "no cause of action" verdict, finding that no hazardous land condition existed at the site. The verdict resulted in zero-dollar liability for the client and the carrier.

Unique Aspects of the Case

The most unique turning point occurred during cross-examination, where the Plaintiff made a highly damaging admission. While adamantly maintaining that he bore absolutely no personal fault for the collision, he simultaneously admitted under oath that he failed to pay attention to his surroundings while operating the fork truck.

Predicting the Future

This trial victory underscores QPWB's readiness to take high-stakes corporate and insurance defense matters to a jury rather than steering clients toward inflated settlements. By exposing critical credibility issues and leveraging strict risk-transfer mechanisms, the firm demonstrates that complex premises claims can be defeated entirely at trial. This outcome establishes a strong local precedent in Wayne County, proving that a robust defense can overcome high-exposure lawsuits even when facing significant, documented physical injuries.

Key Actions in This Case

• Credibility Impeachment: Utilized extensive pre-trial background research to introduce a prior felony assault conviction, completely neutralizing the Plaintiff's damages narrative.
• Risk Transfer Execution: Successfully enforced lease indemnification terms to shift defense costs and financial exposure away from the primary carrier to the tenant's insurance carrier.
• Jury Anchoring: Maintained a disciplined, respectful presentation that anchored the jury to low damages figures while systematically disproving the existence of a property defect.

About QPWB

Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. is one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States providing a different focus on what it means to provide responsive service to clients and team members. With a national presence of 60 offices and a comprehensive scope of over 130 practice areas, QPWB delivers legal representation in litigation, regulatory, and corporate matters to a diverse range of industries. This scope and rapid expansion has attracted unique legal talent from all different backgrounds and experiences which has made them the largest minority-owned law firm in the country.