Judge Saad strikes a blow for insurers on "serious impairment"

One of Michigan's more reactionary judges, Henry Saad, has never met a summary disposition motion that he didn't like.  He and a panel of Court of Appeals judges continued thieir crusade on behalf of Michigan insurance companies by voting that a young man had not suffered a "serious injury" in a motor vehicle collision, even though the man experienced a fractured nose, facial fractures, and spinal disc dessication, protrusion and bulging at L4-5.  The injured man worked as a maintenance man when he was injured by another driver's negligence.  He missed four weeks' work, is subject to a lifting restriction recommendation of 30 to 50 pounds, and has been forced to give up all strenuous recreational activities.  Under the Kreiner standard, Judge Saad concludes that the man, one Benjamin Carter, has not suffered a "serious impairment of a bodily function".  We'd be willing to bet that the Judge would have second thoughts if he had suffered the same injuries.