Grof v. Michigan

Defendant, State of Michigan, in the capacity of the Department of State Highways, appeals from a judgment for plaintiffs entered in the Court of Claims. A companion case against Ford Motor Company was consolidated with the Court of Claims action but settled without trial.

The following statement of facts we have adopted from the trial court’s findings which are supported by the record.

On September 14, 1975, plaintiff Donald C. Smith was operating a 1970 Ford van in an easterly direction on state highway M-50. In the van, also, were Sharon Smith, wife of Donald C. Smith, their children, Tracie…