Peter J. Parks

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan I was invariably exposed at an early age to automobiles and music. My daily bus ride from home to Cass Tech High School during the period 1968-1971, dropped me off only one block away from the Motown Headquarters at the time. On occasion, I’d see members of acts like The Four Tops and the Temptations milling around the front of the Motown building, which was exciting to say the least. Music and cars would continue to factor immensely in my life throughout my college years and beyond.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that the second jury trial of my career involved a claim brought by a young, talented lead guitarist, who by age 19 had established himself as a featured member of the Parliament Funkadelic band. He had appeared on several commercial record releases and toured throughout the United States, playing in major arenas and stadiums, as well as in the United Kingdom, France, Brussels and the Netherlands. In a contentious legal action brought against a renowned Detroit bar, I convinced a Wayne County jury that my client’s injury (a fractured right arm) was caused by a drunken driver that had been served alcoholic beverages by the bar beyond the point of his visible intoxication. The jury’s $175,000 verdict would be appealed and ultimately settled in 1982 for $274,000 several years later following a favorable appellant court ruling.

In the many years that followed that case, my practice has largely consisted of representing clients in motor vehicle accident and No-Fault claims and litigation as well as entertainment related contractual and litigation matters. In 2004, I was co-counsel in the case of Kenneth Tyson v. State Farm Insurance Company, which settled for $10 Million on the second day of trial, and remains to this day, the largest No-Fault settlement in Michigan legal history. In 2006, I successfully sued a major motion picture company for copyright violation over a Grammy Award winning musical score on behalf of a Michigan based composer which ultimately settled for $300,000. In addition to these areas, I have vast experience in representing clients in other types of personal injury matters, including construction accidents, premises liability matters (slip and falls; falling merchandise in retail establishments, etc.), dog bites and civil assault and battery claims [the most recent being an $819,000 verdict in December 2016 over a gun shooting]. Finally, my practice also includes representing clients charged with misdemeanor criminal offenses and drunk driving (OUIL/OWI) charges.

As a final note, the legal spectrum is incredibly wide. Certainly no one attorney, nor even most large firms, can competently handle every conceivable legal need of the citizens of this community. Recognizing this, it has been my good fortune over the years to have made professional acquaintances with many other members of the Metropolitan Detroit legal community and beyond, who specialize in a wide range of legal matters outside the areas of my practice. If your legal matter involves something outside of my practice areas, I promise to do my best to try help you find competent legal assistance for all your legal needs.