January 2025 Pacesetter Dana LaKritz Marcus
Partner, LaKritz Law| Bloomfield Hills

What motivated you to become a trial lawyer? I grew up in a family where my father was a personal injury lawyer. During my childhood years, he shared firsthand stories of how he was helping his injured clients, whose lives had been turned upside down in an instant, due to someone else’s irresponsible actions. I always admired my father’s commitment to the families for whom he worked and aspired to do something that helped others. Thus, I started college planning to study to be a physical therapist, helping injured people heal from injuries. However, once I took a law class in college, I realized that I enjoyed analyzing cases and learning about the evolution of various areas of the law. As a result, I started exploring careers that could combine my academic interests with those of helping improve people’s lives as they heal from injuries. After honing trial advocacy skills in law school and working as a business litigation associate right out of law school, I pivoted to my true passion in helping injured people who needed guidance and support in attempting to heal and return to their pre-injury lifestyles.

When did you become a member of MAJ? Why did you decide to join? I became a member of MAJ in 2003 when I joined my father in his personal injury practice. I joined MAJ because the values that MAJ espouses align with my values. I have always been a strong proponent of helping the most vulnerable and when someone is injured, no matter their means, they need support, expert guidance, assistance, and advocacy from a caring individual like myself.

Why do you feel it is important for trial lawyers to be a part of MAJ? MAJ is an excellent resource for new and seasoned lawyers alike. Individuals who form a group for a common cause, such as the belief in justice for all, are more influential together than standing alone. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” When we, as trial lawyers, band together for the common good of putting safety before company profits, we are promoting civil justice throughout the great State of Michigan for our clients and their families.

You have made a strong commitment to the Justice PAC. Why do you feel supporting the JPAC is important? I contribute monthly to MAJ’s Justice PAC, which contribution is critical in assisting MAJ in advocating for civil justice for all. Without JPAC, my clients, and members of the public, would have very little information about current legislative issues that could negatively impact them, including which candidates seeking election or reelection support the safety and well-being of Michiganders ahead of insurance industry profits. Those who need support for their safety and well-being must have a means by which to learn the candidates who will advocate and pass laws for their safety and support. This is where JPAC comes in. I am proud to be a PAC member because I know that such support contributes to the overall resources and tools needed to assist the best candidates to be elected and re-elected for our injured Michigan citizens.

What is distinctive about your practice? And your firm? Our firm, LaKritz Law, is a father-daughter team practicing personal injury law spanning over 40 years of combined practice. We pride ourselves on receiving the vast majority of our cases from former clients and referring lawyers who, through our excellent results, trust our expertise and know that we will give 110% effort to all our cases. The small size of our firm allows us to get to know our clients and their families, which is more beneficial than most people realize to achieve excellent results for clients. When my father started the firm in the 1980s, he had the unique opportunity of representing a well-known insurance company, alongside Plaintiffs. As a result, when I joined LaKritz Law, after working in defense litigation out of law school, I was assigned to work on cases for the insurance company, assisting in analyzing loss. After a few years of this work, I had the opportunity to exclusively work on plaintiff personal injury cases. My current focus is automobile accident cases, dog bite cases, and premises cases, satisfying my life-long goal of helping injured people when they need it most. I consider myself fortunate to have the perspectives gained from having worked with an insurance company and on the defense side of litigation for a part of my legal career.

What is your most memorable case? My most memorable case was one, early in my career as a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer, involving my client who was riding his bike on the gravel portion of a roadway. He was struck by a motorist and suffered a traumatic brain injury requiring multiple surgeries and confined to a brain-injured treatment facility for the foreseeable future. The defense was arguing that since my client was a non-us citizen, had no living family members and was a farm worker, the value of his case was diminished. In other words, the defense was asserting that my client’s life was not worth very much because of his life circumstances. I refused to accept this argument, instead focusing on my client’s worth as an individual, gathering testimony from his street friends and his co-workers. Ultimately, we resolved the case for $4 million shortly before trial

What was your most satisfying case? My most satisfying case was a recent case where my client was involved in a low impact car crash causing an aggravation of a pre-existing back injury which was being questioned by the insurance company. Before filing suit, I was able to garner enough support from my client’s treating doctors to advocate for the full $250,000 policy for my client’s aggravation of a preexisting back injury. This case reminded me of the stories told by my father and his contemporaries dating back to the late 1980s and 1990s, when a phone call to an adjuster would be sufficient to settle a case. My persistent efforts of gathering the medical records, securing a Narrative Report from the treating doctor, and managing the expectations of the client, proved successful in bringing the settlement negotiations to a close.

Please provide a brief description of your interests outside the practice of law. When I am not practicing law, I spend my time volunteering at my children’s schools and at non-profit organizations, such as the Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition (an organization focused on educating youth about mental health issues and substance abuse). I also enjoy all racquet sports, travelling and spending time with family and friends.