Chad D. Engelhardt

Chad is a patient safety advocate who takes pride in representing injured people against insurance companies, hospitals and big companies. Chad focuses his practice on the prosecution of complex medical malpractice, catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. He fights to promote safety for all Michigan citizens by standing up for accountability and responsibility. His involvement in numerous cases has resulted in millions of dollars being recovered for his clients.

Chad is also a leader in legal education. He is an award-winning adjunct professor and clinical field supervisor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he mentors students and teaches courses in litigation skills and medical malpractice law. He also serves as the Michigan Association for Justice’s Education Chair and is a regular CLE speaker on medical negligence and litigation issues.

Before becoming a trial lawyer, Chad fought for justice and safety as a law enforcement officer with a large police agency for over 12 years. He worked full-time during college and all through law school. During his law enforcement career, Chad served in the patrol services, corrections and court services divisions. He was a field training officer, was trained in investigations, and qualified as an expert marksman and a defensive tactics instructor. He was also trained as a hostage negotiator and served on an elite tactical unit.

Chad is a proud husband and the active father of three children. When not working, Chad enjoys bicycling and cooking, including catering charity dinner parties to benefit brain-injured children.

Areas Of Practice

• Medical Malpractice
• Catastrophic Personal Injury

Education

Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan

• J.D. – 2005
• Honors: magna cum laude
• Honors: Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Honors Scholarship every semester of attendance
• Honors: Shane Joseph Johnson Award for Highest First Term GPA (4.0)
• Honors: American Jurisprudence Book Awards: Torts I, Property I, Property II, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Law Office Management, Taxation, and Wills, Estates & Trusts
• Honors: Phi Delta Phi Award in Professional Responsibility
• Honors: Grade Appeals Board Magistrate; Faculty Interview Panel Member; Alumni Distinguished Student Award Nominee.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

• B.A. – 2000
• Major: Political Science

Bar Admissions

Michigan

• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan

Published Works

• The Michigan Court of Claims Battle, Journal of the Michigan Assn. for Justice, Vol XLV, No. 3 (January, 2014)
• Negligence Lawyer? There’s an app for that. The proliferation and suitability of Apple’s iPad in litigation practice, State Bar of Michigan, Negligence Law Section (2013)
• Chiropractic Malpractice Course Book, West (Thomson Reuters) and National Business Institute (2012)
• Immunity for Some is Justice For None, State Bar of Michigan, Negligence Law Section (2011)
• Starting the Case: Michigan Complaint Manual, Chapter 115: Fraudulent Transfer; Quiet Title (2011)
• Peer Review: Not An Iron Curtain, Michigan Assoc. for Justice (2010)
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education (March 2020) Initial Disclosure Timeline – A Practical Tool for Litigators
• State Bar of Michigan, Negligence Law Section (2019) Overview of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Interplay with Michigan Law, Focusing on the Non-CDL- CMV
• State Bar of Michigan, Negligence Law Section (2018) Commercial Motor Vehicles: Big Rigs, Big Danger, and the FMSCR Public Safety Net (June 2018)
• State Bar of Michigan, Negligence Law Section (2017) Are the Winds of Change Visiting the Michigan Court Rules? The Litigators’ Summary of the State Bar of Michigan’s 2017 Special Committee on Civil Discovery Court Rule Review’s Report and Recommendations
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education Michigan Causes of Action Formbook (Book) Chapter 31: Health Care Provider Malpractice
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education Torts: Michigan Law and Practice, Second Edition (Book) Chapter 6: Healthcare Malpractice
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education Michigan Causes of Action Formbook, 2d Ed (Book, 2020) Chapter 8: Professional Malpractice Actions
• Negligence Law Section Quarterly (Fall 2020), Pitfalls for the Unwary:  Statutory Notice Provisions in Governmental Negligence Cases

• Negligence Law Section Quarterly (Summer 2021), “Justice for the Dead: Lost Earning Capacity Damages in Wrongful Death Cases”

• Michigan Bar Journal (April 2022), Danger Ahead: Pitfalls and Landmines in Medical Malpractice Expert Witness Requirements
• Michigan Bar Journal (June 2022), Daubert Challenges to expert testimony: Legal Overview and Best Practices

Classes/Seminars

• Adjunct Professor of Law and Clinical Field Supervisor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2012 to Present
• ICLE Tenth Annual No-Fault Summit (Moderator), 2023
• MAJ Winter Convention (Moderator), 2023
• E-Discovery and Legal Ethics in the Digital Space, WMU Cooley Law School, 2023
• Patient Safety in Nursing Practice, Washtenaw Community College, 2023
• The Medicolegal Intersection: Communication and Patient Safety Practices, Michigan Medicine Healthcare Administration Scholars Program, 2023
• Michigan Tort Basics, ICLE/Certificate, 2023
• Voir Dire and Trial Practice, Washtenaw County Bar Association, 2023
• Medical Malpractice: What You Need to Know As A Practicing Clinician, Brown Alpert Medical School, 2022
• E-Discovery and Legal Ethics in the Digital Space, WMU Cooley Law School, 2022
• ESI: Complex Civil Litigation in the Cyber Age, NBI, Inc., 2021
• No-Fault Institute XVII – Presenter, Michigan Association for Justice, 2020
• The Art of the Courtroom – Program Chair and Moderator, State Bar of Michigan Negligence Section, 2020
• SVS Town Hall Panelist, Legal & Financial Aspects of Restarting Your Clinical Practice, Society of Vascular Surgery, 2020
• ESI: Litigation Lessons from the Cyber-Trenches, State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, 2020
• 3 Key Winning Trial Strategies: Voir Dire, Simplified PowerPoint Opening Statements, and Daubert Motions to Eliminate Defense Experts, Michigan Association for Justice 17^th Annual Medical Malpractice Seminar, 2020
• Discovery Rules Evening Forum, MAJ Conference, 2019
• Discovery Changes for Civil Practitioners, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2019
• The Problem: Judicial Erosion of Grewe, MAJ Medical Malpractice, 2019
• How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (And Keep Theirs Out), NBI, Inc., 2019
• Best Practices for Effective Disclosures and Discovery Under the Revised Michigan Court Rules, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2019
• Patient Safety in Nursing Practice, Washtenaw County Community College Nursing Program, 2019
• Demonstration: Daubert Hearing, ICLE, 2019
• Apply the Michigan Discovery Rule Changes to Your Practice., ICLE, 2019
• Introduction to the Court of Claims, ICLE, 2019
• Thinking Inside the Box- Moderator and Program Chair, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2019
• Get the Most Out of Expert Witnesses, ICLE, 2018
• Trial Preparation From Start to Finish for Paralegals, NBI, Inc., 2018
• Negligence Law Section Spring Seminar: Improve Your Client’s Odds in the World of Litigation, SBM Negligence Law Section and MAJ, 2018
• MAJ No-Fault Institute XV Learning and Using Best Practices, MAJ No-Fault Institute, 2018
• Civil Justice CPR: Reviving the Dying Art of Trial Lawyering, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2018
• State Bar of Michigan 2017 Special Committee on Civil Discovery Court Rule Review’s Report and Recommendations, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2017
• EMR Cyber-Clues: Becoming a Digital Detective, NBI, 2017
• How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (And Keep Theirs Out), NBI, 2017
• Liens 2017 Lessons from the Trenches, SBM Negligence Law Section, 2017
• Don’t Let the Evidentiary Gates Shut on Your Case: Navigating Rule 702 and Daubert Issues for Reliable Expert Witness Testimony, MAJ Annual Medical Malpractice Seminar, 2016
• Medical Malpractice Basics Seminar, ICLE, 2016
• The Role of Medical Literature After Ehler, MAJ 71st Annual Seminar – New Ways to Succeed, 2016
• Mobile Technology: A Courtroom Equation, MAJ, 2015
• The “New” Court of Claims: Practice and Procedure, MAJ, 2014
• SB 652: What Happened to the Court of Claims?, ICLE
• SB 652: What Happened to the Court of Claims?, MAJ Medical Malpractice, 2013
• Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery Litigation, MAJ Medical Malpractice, 2013
• Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery Litigation , AAJ
• Responding to Surgical Complications, AAJ Da Vinci Robotic Surgery Litigation, 2013
• Orientation on Lawyer Professionalism, MAJ Voir Dire Seminar
• Program Chair, State Bar of Michigan, TMCLS
• Moderator, MAJ Annual Seminar, 2013
• Moderator, MAJ Defense Medical Examiner Seminar, 2013
• Actions Speak Louder Than Words: A Trial Lawyer’s Lessons in Professionalism, TMCLS Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism, 2013
• Panelist, Social Media As A Tool In The Litigation Arsenal, American Inns of Court, Washtenaw County, 2013
• Chiropractic Malpractice, West (Thomson Reuters), 2012
• Invited Judge, TMCLS Trial Evidence Competition, 2012
• Invited Judge, TMCLS Moot Court, 2012
• MentorJET, Women Lawyers of Michigan, 2012
• Orientation On Lawyer Professionalism, State Bar of Michigan, TMCLS, 2012
• They made their bed, but do that have to lie in it? The use of hospital internal policies post-Jilek., MAJ Medical Negligence Annual Seminar, 2012
• Taking the fight to the insurance company’s front door: Consent judgments and garnishment actions to prevail in medical malpractice insurance coverage disputes., MAJ Medical Negligence Annual Seminar, 2012
• Maximize your client’s recovery: Making sense of Michigan’s hybrid collateral source rule., MAJ Medical Negligence Annual Seminar, 2012
• Moderator, MAJ Effective Settlement Demand and Initial Pleading Practice, 2012
• Professionalism in Action, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2011
• Transitioning from Cooley Student to Successful Lawyer, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2011
• Taking Effective Expert Witness Depositions, Michigan Association for Justice, 2011
• Ethical Client Intake, American Inns of Court, 2011
• Peer Review: Not an Iron Curtain, MAJ Medical Malpractice Institute, 2010
• Using Technology To Improve Legal Services, OCBA, Solo and Small, 2009
• Moderator, MAJ Voir Dire Seminar, 2013
• ESI: Litigation Lessons from the Cyber-Trenches, State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, 2020
• 3 Key Winning Trial Strategies: Voir Dire, Simplified PowerPoint Opening Statements, and Daubert Motions to Eliminate Defense Experts, Michigan Association for Justice 17th Annual Medical Malpractice Seminar, 2020
• Discovery Rules Evening Forum, Michigan Association for Justice, 2019
• Discovery Changes for Civil Practitioners Tips and Best Practices., State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, 2019
• The Problem: Judicial Erosion of Grewe, Michigan Association for Justice Medical Malpractice, 2019
• How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (And Keep Theirs Out), National Business Institute, Inc., 2019

Honors And Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America – Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 30^th Ed (2023)
• 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law in Plaintiffs, Ann Arbor, MI
• The Best Lawyers in America – Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 29^th Ed (2022)
• The Best Lawyers in America – Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 28^th Ed (2021)
• Super Lawyers – Top 100 (2021)
• Leading Lawyers Top 100 in Michigan (2020)

• Top 10 Leading Lawyers Plaintiff’s Medical Malpractice, Leading Lawyers Magazine – Michigan Edition (2020)

• Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers Association (2012)
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Michigan, National Trial Lawyers Association (2013)
• Pace Setter, Michigan Association for Justice (2013)
• Top Lawyer (Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury, Professional Liability), Detroit Business Magazine (2011, 2013)
• Top Young Attorneys in Michigan, New York Times (2010-2013)
• Michigan Rising Star, Super Lawyers Magazine (2010-2012)
• Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (2013)
• AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb)
• AA-SBA Student’s Choice Award (2012, 2013)
• TMCLS Integrity in the Community Award (2013, 2014)
• Top 50 Consumer Lawyers in Michigan, Super Lawyer (2014)
• Up & Coming Lawyer, Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly (2014)
• Outstanding Charitable Service Award, WMU-Cooley Law (2013)
• TMCLS Outstanding Charitable Service Award (2014)

Professional Associations And Memberships

• State Bar of Michigan, Member, Representative Assembly, Negligence Law Section Leadership Council and Appellate and Litigation Sections member
• Michigan Association of Justice, Executive Board Member; Chair of New Lawyers Section 2011-2012; Chair of Continuing Legal Education, 2013; Co-Chair of Medical Malpractice Committee, 2013
• Oakland County Bar Association, Chair, Solo and Firm Committee, 2008, Vice-Chair 2007
• Washtenaw Association for Justice, Executive Board Member
• American Inns of Court, Oakland and Washtenaw Co. Chapters
• Women’s Lawyer Association of Michigan

pro bono activities

• Making Meals Happen, Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Lakeshore Legal Clinic (Family Law Assistance)
• Guardian Ad Litem, Oakland County Probate Court and Oakland County Circuit Court Family Division