Education
- University of Toledo College of Law, J.D., 1993
- University of Michigan, B.A., 1987
Bar Admission
- State of Michigan, 1993
- United State District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1999
- United State District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2005
Peer Recognition
- AV Rating, Martindale Hubbell
Richard P. Peterson II joined Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, P.C. in June 2000 and has been a shareholder since January 1, 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law and the University of Michigan (B.A. 1987). He practices in the areas of insurance defense, no-fault insurance, personal injury, negligence, general tort, commercial litigation, and construction litigation. He regularly appears before state and federal courts.
Mr. Peterson is an experienced trial and appellate litigator representing clients in high exposure disputes in both state and federal courts throughout Michigan. He has extensive background in litigating all types of insurance defense cases, including wrongful death, automobile negligence, premises liability, slip and fall, construction defects, mold infestation, libel/slander, and dog bites. He also has significant experience litigating no-fault, personal injury, negligence and tort cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.
Mr. Peterson also has significant experience in various types of commercial and construction disputes, including breach of commercial contracts, defective construction cases, and construction lien cases.
Mr. Peterson graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1993. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1987, where he majored in economics and history.
Mr. Peterson’s representative litigation includes:
- 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 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 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 pedestrian who was struck by a pick-up 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 the claimed damages.
- Successfully defended homeowner in premises liability case brought by contractor who sustained a severe electric shock while working on the homeowner’s premises, obtaining a dismissal of the case, and successfully handled 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 which involved significant life-altering injuries.
- Successfully represented the estate of a pedestrian who was 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 automobile accident that happened more than 20 years earlier.
- Numerous recoveries for contractors in foreclosure actions involving construction liens.
Mr. Peterson has served as a case evaluator in the Washtenaw County Trial Court for many years, sitting on both the negligence and commercial panels, and also serves as an arbitrator in civil litigation matters. He has been AV peer review rated, Martindale Hubbell’s highest peer recognition for legal ability and ethical standards, since he was initially rated more than 10 years ago.