Settlement eyed in suit involving city employee

By Mark H. Stowers

Birmingham City Commissioners voted Monday, August 26, to offer a settlement of a 2022 lawsuit filed by a Maddison Heights resident who was injured when an employee of the city, driving a municipal vehicle, hit the car in which she was a passenger.

The lawsuit was filed by the Mike Morse Law Firm on behalf of Christine Lindsey who was riding in a vehicle on I-75 on April 18 of 2022 when it was hit by a city-owned 2020 Dodge Durango driven by Nicholas Alexander Hill, an officer in the Birmingham Police Department.

Commissioners went into a one and half hour closed session to discuss the matter with city attorney Mary M. Kucharek. Once coming back into open session, they voted unanimously, 5-0, with two commissioners – mayor Elaine McLean and mayor pro tem Katie Schafer – absent for the meeting.

According to the original filing from the lawsuit. Lindsey said that Hill was “driving in a carless, reckless and negligent manner” on northbound I-75 in the area of Hazel Park. The lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court and assigned to judge Kwame’ L. Rowe, says Lindsey suffered injuries requiring back surgery and will entail further surgery, plus mental anguish and excessive wage loss. The lawsuit asks for damages of $25,000 or more to cover Lindsey’s medical expenses, along with attorney fees and damages.

A trial date had been set for September 10, 2024.

An exact amount of the settlement offered was not divulged at the commission meeting and Kucharek explained that the settlement proposal has been submitted to counsel for the plaintiff and it could a week or two before a settlement agreement is reached, at which time the amount will be made public.