Vassar Personal Injury Lawyers

Parker Stinar is an associate in Sommers Schwartz’s Birth Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Personal Injury Litigation Groups, appearing in both state and federal courts across the country on behalf of plaintiffs injured as a result of others’ negligence.

Parker has amassed a wealth of courtroom experience in a number of different areas, successfully representing clients in all stages of litigation from initial intake, through discovery, and at case evaluations, facilitation, and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. He has negotiated settlements totaling millions of dollars.

Educated at the University of Michigan Law School, I have spent decades helping people who have been injured or killed through the the carelessness of others. We have won some of the largest jury awards in the State of Michigan, and across the country, including a $17.8 million verdict for a victim of a mild traumatic brain injury. We fight for our clients and have never lost to an insurance company. At the same time, we care deeply for our clients and work hard to get them through these extremely challenging times that follow life changing events.

Matt Bates has spent his entire career helping individuals injured in personal injury accidents. He pursued his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University. He graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 2008. While at Wayne State, he won numerous mock trial competitions and served as the President of the Student Bar Association Board of Governors as well as Law School Representative to the University Student Counsel. Following graduation, Matt served on the Executive Board for the Wayne State Law School Alumni Association. In 2008, Matt joined the Mike Morse Law Firm as a litigation attorney. He currently specializes in auto,...

With over 45 years of experience, Daniel Moss has handled thousands of family law matters. In most cases, he is able to amicably resolve issues directly with other lawyers or through the process of mediation without a trial. Contact him today for a consultation.

Matthew Curtis is a senior shareholder and member of the Board of Directors at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. For the past 30 years, he has successfully litigated complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases throughout Michigan, and across the country including Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, and Maryland.

Matt concentrates his practice in the areas of:

Birth Trauma/Neonatal Malpractice
Delayed or Misdiagnosis of Medical Conditions
Surgical Mishaps
Emergency Room Negligence
Automobile/Trucking Accidents
Wrongful Death/Catastrophic Injuries

I specialize in fighting for victims of car accidents and dog bites. I am licensed in the States of Michigan and Ohio, as well as several federal district courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

After graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, I began my career as an insurance defense attorney, where I represented many of the largest insurance companies. My background in defense litigation has given me a unique perspective into the workings and mindset of big insurance companies and their lawyers, which I now use to my clients’ advantage.

I consider it...

Christopher Coyle joined Blank Law, PC in March of 2022. Chris has been practicing law for 30 years and has developed specific and particular skills that set him apart from other criminal defense attorneys. Chris spent 28 years as a Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor. He has reviewed, examined, built, investigated and tried thousands of criminal cases from inception to conclusion. Chris was most recently the Deputy Chief of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office (WCPO), Special Victims Unit (SVU). Chris handled and oversaw hundreds of Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse cases. Having worked...

Goldman & Associates Law Firm is owned and led by Akiva Goldman, a highly acclaimed family law attorney in Michigan. With a wealth of experience in handling thousands of family law cases, he has garnered numerous awards and recognition for his legal expertise. He also serves as a mediator for hundreds of cases and has been featured in various media outlets, including Fox 2 News, WDIV, and MLive. Goldman's approach is to save marriages whenever possible. He offers resources, such as videos on Reasons Not To Get Divorced, to help clients consider factors before filing for divorce. Alternatives to divorce are...

Ken Watkins is an accomplished trial attorney and Senior Shareholder with Sommers Schwartz. Over the course of his career, he has obtained numerous multimillion-dollar settlements on behalf of the clients he’s been proud to represent. His achievements include one of the largest seven-digit medical malpractice cases in Macomb County in 2008, and his election to membership in the exclusive Million Dollar Verdict Club.

Outside of the practice, Ken is known for giving back to the community. He has spoken on several occasions at the Detroit Public Schools Career Days; serves on board of directors for Urban Solutions, Inc., an organization dedicated...

Dan Hohf graduated from Western Michigan University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. While at WMU, he served as a Museum Technician at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania as well as at the Kingman Museum in Battle Creek, Michigan. He joined the Mike Morse Law Firm team in 2011 as a paralegal and eventually went on to earn his law degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2019. While attending law school, he remained employed at the Mike Morse Law Firm as well as served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Edward...

Jay Yasso, a senior shareholder with Sommers Schwartz, focuses his practice on medical malpractice, automobile negligence, and personal injury. He has litigated, mediated and facilitated numerous multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of injured victims for over twenty years, and his experience and expertise allows him to sit on mediation panels in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb County Circuit Courts.

In addition, for the last 23 years, Jay’s professional practice has also focused on representing individuals and businesses in the entertainment industry, including representing record companies, recording artists, music and film producers, production companies, artist managers, agents, songwriters, music publishers, models and modeling...

John Elliott believes that unfortunately, criminal defendants are often presumed guilty as opposed to innocent. There is an unfortunate sentiment that if someone is charged with a crime, then they must have done something wrong. Mr. Elliott is passionate about the plight of those wrongly accused. Further, he is equally committed to assisting those who have made mistakes or bad decisions that brought them into the criminal justice system and fighting to ensure that those uncharacteristic actions do not have long lasting effects on his Clients' lives and livelihoods. Mr. Elliott realizes that the only protection individuals facing...

I earned my undergrad degree from Oakland University where I majored in Communication and minored in Studio Art, and my law degree came from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School . I started working at a criminal defense firm in 2009 and worked on every sort of criminal case you could imagine, but my favorite has always been driver’s license restoration. I realized early on that having or not having a driver’s license affects so many people—not just the driver. Children need their parents to drive them to school, activities, and doctor appointments. In fact, in...

Bjornrae Kemp is an associate attorney at the Mike Morse Law Firm. He graduated from the University of Houston in 2009. He went on to earn his law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Since 2020, he has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is also admitted to practice law in Texas. Bjornrae has represented accident victims for his entire legal career, recovering millions for his clients. In his free time, Bjornrae enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and reading.

Daniel L. Buckfire earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Michigan Business School in 1989, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated in the top 10% of his class. In 1991, he graduated cum laude from the prestigious University of Michigan Law School. Daniel specializes in Michigan car accident cases, no-fault insurance claims, dram shop liability, and general negligence cases. He is rated as a "Superb" lawyer by the top internet lawyer rating service and "Best Personal Injury Lawyer" by a Detroit business magazine. Daniel's adept knowledge of these areas of law has resulted in...

Born, raised and educated in Michigan. Married with two adult children. Active in local civic and athletic organizations and charities. I have devoted my entire 30 year practice to representing victims of all types of accidental injuries for 30 years. I do not represent large corporations or insurance companies. I help level the battlefield so my clients can take on the biggest and best-funded opponents and still get the compensation they deserve. I never charge my clients to talk to me. I always answer and return calls promptly. Give me a call. Let's talk about your case today.

Arvin Pearlman is nationally known for the successful outcomes he has obtained on behalf of railroad workers who are injured or killed in the course of their employment. Since concentrating his practice on Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) litigation in 1979, Arvin has tried numerous personal injury cases before judges and juries across the United States, many with multi-million dollar awards. FELA cases arise from many types of railroad workplace negligence including unsafe work environments, exposure to harmful substances and occupational illness, faulty equipment, and off-site injuries. He is designated legal counsel for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen in...

Daresha McCloud graduated from Bowling Green State University with honors in 2007. She went on to earn her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. During law school, Daresha was awarded a Certificate of Merit for receiving the highest grade amongst her peers in Torts II and Civil Procedure II. She graduated from law school cum laude in 2012. Since graduating law school, Daresha has primarily devoted her practice of law to representing individuals who have been involved in auto accidents, slip and falls, and dog bites. Daresha also had an opportunity to work as an insurance defense attorney....

Alyssa Orseck Moss earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Affairs from Lafayette College. Thereafter, she earned her Juris Doctorate degree in 1993 from Michigan State University’s College of Law. A third-generation trial attorney, Moss joined Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. in 2017 and brings over 25-plus years of extensive legal experience. Moss is an experienced trial attorney, representing those who have been injured as a result of all types of accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents and bicycle accidents.

George G. Burke, III is a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Syracuse University where he graduated cum laude in 1989. He graduated from Boston College Law School in 1992. George's practice focuses on personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on automobile negligence and Michigan no-fault insurance cases. He is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice. Email: george@buckfirelaw.com

Joel T Finnell is an appellate specialist at Sinas Dramis Law Firm, which is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. In this unique role, Joel is often called upon by attorneys at the firm and within the community for additional legal support in heavily defended cases. While his skills and expertise are vast, Joel dedicates a large portion of his practice to auto no-fault law, motor vehicle accidents, and complicated wrongful death cases. He graduated cum laude from Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is admitted to practice in the...

Since graduating from law school, Dan has helped many people who were victims of negligence; he loves what he does and considers going to law school the best decision of his life. One of Dan’s favorite parts of the legal process is the one-on-one conversations he has with his clients. Listening to a client’s story, Dan becomes a trusted family friend, rather than just a lawyer. He finds these relationships extremely gratifying, particularly when he secures a full, fair settlement that the insurance company had been delaying or denying. The history of the Dan Makled Law Firm is to provide quality...

Perry graduated from Michigan State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. While attending Wayne State University Law School, he clerked for the Hon. Alice L. Gilbert who handled a diverse civil and criminal docket at the Oakland County Circuit Court. During that clerkship, he gained immeasurable courtroom experience assisting the judge with trials that ranged from complex contract disputes to first-degree felonies. That experience informed his decisions as an attorney and has led to a 20-plus year career working as an advocate for people in such areas as: real estate law including landlord tenant; personal injury law...

Matthew Turner is a senior shareholder with Sommers Schwartz, and focuses his practice on medical malpractice, legal malpractice, ERISA, and class action matters.

Fighting for and protecting the rights of his clients is the most important part of Matt’s profession. During law school, he was a law clerk for Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Richard Kuhn, and after graduation, he joined his family’s law firm where he litigated a broad range of matters involving business disputes, employment discrimination, dental malpractice, auto accident, slip and fall, and significant cases of death and catastrophic loss.

Matt has appeared before the United States Supreme Court,...

Melanie graduated from the Detroit College of Law Cum Laude in 1986. She received her BS in Business Management from Detroit College of Business Magna Cum Laude in 1982. She then practiced at corporate law firms and insurance defense law firms for the next 35 years. Over that time, she managed an insurance defense law firm for one large insurance company. She has also tried more than 100 lawsuits to a jury verdict. She was one of the prominent trial attorneys for a large national insurance company. Melanie is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation...

Since the inception of his legal career in 1987, Jesse Reiter has handled 100% birth injury and birth trauma cases. Reiter is admitted to practice in Michigan, Washington, D.C., Ohio and the U.S. Supreme Court, and he represents children and their parents in cases involving infant brain damage, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, and a number of other pregnancy, delivery and newborn complications. Jesse Reiter is referred to in a 2008 Michigan Lawyer's Weekly article as one of three "medical malpractice gurus” whose cases have consistently ranked among the top verdicts and settlements in the state of Michigan for...

In 2005, Jake Yeater graduated cum laude from the University of Findlay, where he attained bachelor degrees in Law and Liberal Arts and Criminal Justice. That fall, he attended Thomas M. Cooley School of Law where he later graduated in the top 5% of his class, cum laude. While a law student, Jake participated in Law Review as the Scholarly Writing Editor, Law Journal, Moot Court, and Mock Trial. He was also awarded the Eugene Krasicky Award for his significant contributions to the publication of the Law Review. Before coming to the Mike Morse Law Firm, Jake spent several years clerking...

Attorney Jody B. Lipton completed her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan in 1990. She then received her Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Law School in 1993. She graduated magna cum laude, as well as in the top ten of her class. That same year, she was admitted to the Michigan Bar, then serving as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Oakland County. In 1996, Jody became a partner of Lipton Law. As a practicing attorney, she's been no stranger to the courtroom. She has tried over 50 jury trials and currently sits as an arbitrator. Her...

Mark Carlson attended Defiance College where he competed in track and field for three years, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He then went on to attend Thomas M. Cooley Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor in 2010. Mark has been a licensed member of the Michigan Bar Association since 2012. Mark was a sole practitioner focusing on criminal law from 2012 until 2022, when he joined the Mike Morse Law Firm. In his spare time, Mark enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and dogs. He is also a big fan of movies...

Brian Bez graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and graduated from the University of Florida, College of Law in 1984. Mr. Bez has received various honors including, Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Delta as well as the Golden Key Honor Society. Mr. Bez is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan (1985) and the State of Florida (1984). In addition, he is licensed to practice law in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is and/or has been a member of the Michigan Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, Michigan Association...

Eric M. Simpson has been dedicated to protecting the rights of the seriously injured and their families for his entire legal career. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts. He then graduated Cum Laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1997 with his Juris Doctor. Not only is Eric a licensed member of The State Bar of Michigan, but also The North Carolina State Bar and The State Bar of Texas. He has practiced law in many different States and throughout the State of Michigan. He has extensive knowledge of...

Neil Davis is the founder and owner of the Davis Law Center, a law firm exclusively dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered serious injuries due to the negligence or wrongdoing of others. Early in his career, Neil was deeply troubled by the way that insurance companies treated injured victims after an accident. Witnessing insurance companies unfairly denying claims and treating their insureds as criminals, Neil resolved to fight for justice on behalf of injured victims. Over the past 30 years, Neil has helped countless clients recover millions of dollars in compensation to help them rebuild their lives. Neil earned...

James Wendt graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2007. While at Eastern Michigan, James was recognized as “Most Outstanding Junior Class Business Student” as well as “Most Outstanding Senior Class Business Student.” Thereafter, he attended Wayne State University Law School, where he graduated in the top 15% of his class and received honors for his work in legal research and writing. Prior to joining the Mike Morse Law Firm in January of 2012, he maintained a private practice, serving clients in the areas of domestic litigation and criminal defense. In his free time, James enjoys...

Over 30 years, Joseph Dedvukaj has been a strong advocate on behalf of those who wrongly suffered a personal injury. Today, the firm is known for winning large settlements and verdicts for personal injury accidents. Joseph Dedvukaj continues to provide client’s the manpower and resources to professionally handle any case, no matter how complex. Joseph Dedvukaj’s firm is a top personal injury firm in the United States, winning some of the largest settlements and verdicts. To date, we’ve won hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. Our firm is passionate about fighting for the...

Lee Steinberg graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. After graduating Wayne State University, he taught in the Detroit School System while going to night school at the Detroit College of Law. After graduating from the Detroit College of Law, he worked for personal injury firms before opening his law practice 1976. Lee has obtained substantial jury verdicts and awards against defendants, both local and national including British Petroleum, the City of Detroit and numerous insurance companies. He also tried cases in the State of Texas and obtained the first medical malpractice verdict in San...

Mr. Stroble earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law. He handles commercial litigation and personal injury cases. Mr. Stroble is licensed to practice law in all Michigan courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States Supreme Court. He’s recognized in the General Litigation category of the 2012 Super Lawyers Rising Stars. This rating service recognizes outstanding lawyers who have attained high degrees of peer recognition and professional achievement. ...

Evan has always shown tremendous dedication and empathy for his clients and the catastrophic issues they face. His rapid trajectory to partner is due to his hard work, excellent handling of cases and high praise from his clients. His leadership at the firm and his quick and enthusiastic handling of responsibilities have led him to be named a Partner in 2021. He handles complex cases including those heading to trial. He has experience in a wide range of personal injury cases including medical malpractice, sex abuse and harassment, auto and trucking cases. Evan is a committed attorney who fights and succeeds...

Chris Filiatraut has been an expert trial lawyer for his entire 26 year career. He has personally tried over 100 cases in the area of personal injury and No-Fault. He has numerous million and multi-million dollar verdicts to his credit and is widely known and respected by both plaintiff and defense counsels for his accomplishments in the courtroom. He has several of the largest trial verdicts in the state since joining the Mike Morse Law firm in 2010. Chris has testified before the Michigan Legislature on No-Fault issues and is a regular speaker at seminars around the state ranging on issues...