Get acquainted with Phil Nelson
Phil's avocation (and passion) is coaching youth baseball and basketball. His vocation, however, is practicing insurance defense law. Phil concentrates his practice on appellate law, insurance coverage issues for personal and commercial lines, automobile negligence, no-fault, and trucking liability. He also has experience with the law of premises liability, products liability, and malpractice defense. In one recent case, Phil persuaded the Michigan Supreme Court that a garage keeper's insurer could not avoid providing primary, residual liability insurance to the permissive user of a courtesy car. The Supreme Court held that the insurer of the permissive user was required to provide only excess coverage.
Another one of Phil's cases interpreted the Uniform Commercial Code's statute of limitations as applied to a component manufacturer that was not in privity with the plaintiffs. The Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's grant of summary disposition, holding that a factual issue existed as to when the installation had been completed. Phil argued in the Michigan Supreme Court that the statute of limitations should be measured from the date that the manufacturer delivered the components to the dealer. The Supreme Court agreed and reinstated summary disposition in the manufacturer's favor. To see a complete list of Phil's Michigan Supreme Court decisions, click here. In addition to his Michigan Supreme Court appearances, Phil has also successfully argued a number of important cases before the Michigan Court of Appeals. To see a complete list of Phil's reported Michigan Court of Appeals decisions, click here. When he's not working on appellate cases or arguing motions in the trial courts, Phil enjoys lecturing on various legal topics like trucking liability and insurance coverage. Phil is also the author of a chapter entitled "Contribution and Indemnity" in the Michigan Causes of Action Formbook; (Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1996).
