Claims for harm from asbestos in Michigan

Michigan mesothelioma cases are filed in circuit courts, with Wayne County (Detroit), Macomb County, and Genesee County (Flint) handling substantial dockets tied to the automotive industry. Michigan plaintiffs pursue claims against major defendants including 3M (which manufactured asbestos-containing friction products), Honeywell (Bendix brakes), Ford, GM, and Chrysler, as well as filing with the national asbestos bankruptcy trust system, including the Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust and the Owens Corning Trust.

Michigan's statute of limitations for mesothelioma is 3 years (MCL 600.5805). Wrongful death claims must be filed within 3 years of death. Michigan has no general discovery rule: a claim accrues when the wrong is done, regardless of when damage results, unless a statute provides otherwise (MCL 600.5827; Trentadue v. Buckler Automatic Lawn Sprinkler Co., 479 Mich. 378 (2007)).

Wayne County Circuit Court has coordinated a substantial asbestos docket, much of it driven by autoworker claims from the Ford River Rouge Complex, General Motors plants in Flint and Detroit, and Chrysler assembly operations throughout the metro area. Michigan courts follow the 'frequency, regularity, and proximity' causation standard for asbestos exposure, consistent with the majority of US jurisdictions.

Michigan's asbestos exposure is dominated by the automotive sector — brake mechanics, assembly workers, and maintenance personnel at Ford, GM, Chrysler, and their massive supplier network faced decades of exposure to asbestos-containing brake linings, gaskets, and heat shields. The Detroit Edison power plants, Zug Island steel operations, and Kalamazoo-area paper mills add additional exposure pathways. Chrysler's former Highland Park and Jefferson Avenue plants are among the most-cited Michigan asbestos sites.