Richard P. Peterson II

Richard “Rick” P. Peterson II is a Shareholder at Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, P.C., where he has practiced insurance defense and civil litigation since joining the firm in 2000. A University of Michigan graduate who earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law, Rick has built a trial and appellate practice concentrated in high-exposure disputes across state and federal courts throughout Michigan.

Rick’s caseload spans the full spectrum of insurance defense work: wrongful death, automobile negligence, premises liability, construction defects, mold infestation, libel and slander, and first-party no-fault claims. He also represents clients on both sides of personal injury and general tort disputes. His commercial litigation experience includes breach of contract, defective construction, and construction lien cases. The breadth of that trial record means few case types reach his desk without a body of relevant precedent he has personally developed.

Rick also serves as a case evaluator in the Washtenaw County Trial Court, sitting on both the negligence and commercial panels, and accepts appointments as a mediator and arbitrator in civil litigation matters. At CMP Law, he works closely with the firm’s litigation team and has held an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell for more than two decades.

Representative Litigation

• Numerous summary dismissals involving claims of serious impairment of body function in third-party no-fault cases.
• Defended ministry group in wrongful death case of minor child who died while on a Christian ministry trip in Tennessee, obtaining an extremely favorable settlement while a co-defendant paid in excess of $1,000,000.
• Defended insurer in two first-party no-fault cases arising from two separate high-speed freeway accidents, obtaining a dismissal of one case and settling the second for a nominal sum.
• Defended contractor charged with defective construction causing mold infestation, obtaining a dismissal by summary disposition.
• Defended snow removal contractor in slip and fall case, obtaining a dismissal by summary disposition.
• Defended apartment complex in slip and fall case, obtaining a dismissal by summary disposition.
• Tried a third-party no-fault case involving a rear-end accident and claims of traumatic brain injury and lumbar spinal injuries, resulting in a directed verdict against the plaintiff.
• Successfully tried a third-party no-fault case involving a severe collision with clear liability, involving claims of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic headaches, facial scarring, and other injuries, resulting in a favorable settlement on the fourth day of trial.
• Tried insurance coverage case on behalf of insurer involving damages caused to a landlord’s property by a tenant, resulting in a verdict of less than 50% of the claimed damages.
• Defended insurer in a first-party no-fault claim brought by a pedestrian struck by a pickup truck, obtaining a dismissal.
• Successfully defended farmer who mistakenly trespassed onto adjacent land and cut down several hundred small trees, resolving the claim for 3% of the amount of claimed damages.
• Successfully defended homeowner in premises liability case brought by a contractor who sustained a severe electric shock while working on the premises, obtaining a dismissal and successfully handling the matter on appeal before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
• Successfully represented driver of a vehicle who collided with a large truck owned by a Fortune 500 company in a third-party no-fault action involving significant life-altering injuries.
• Successfully represented the estate of a pedestrian struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking along the shoulder of an expressway in an action to recover uninsured motorist benefits.
• Successfully represented woman in action to recover first-party no-fault medical benefits arising from an automobile accident that occurred more than 20 years earlier.
• Numerous recoveries for contractors in foreclosure actions involving construction liens.