James L. Spagnuolo, Jr.
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Clinton Township, Michigan
Macomb Law Group
Practice Areas: Personal Injury, E-Discovery, Insurance Coverage; view more
Licensed in Michigan since: 2002
Education: Wayne State University Law School
Call today:
586-225-7200

Macomb Law Group
39501 Garfield Rd.Clinton Township, MI 48038 Visit website
Details
Before becoming an attorney, I had a life-changing stint in the United States Marine Corps that shaped the rest of my life, and even my career as an attorney. You see, every marine has 14 leadership traits instilled in them in bootcamp: Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Integrity, Decisiveness, Tact, Initiative, Endurance, Bearing, Unselfishness, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty and Enthusiasm. I’ve carried these traits with me wherever I go, and I’ve worked to instill them in the attorneys and staff at Macomb Law Group and every case we handle.
I have spent my entire legal career working for people injured or killed in auto accidents and from other forms of negligence, most notably the victims of negligence in adult foster care / group homes.
I began working in personal injury law more than 20 years ago, starting as a law clerk during my first year of law school at Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit. After passing the bar exam in 2002, I went on to become a partner at a series of law firms before opening the Macomb Law Group in 2017.
I have a genuine passion for helping people taken advantage of or who have been injured as a result of someone’s negligence. I have vast experience handling truck and car accident cases — including filing a lawsuit against the negligent parties, to compensate my clients for their injuries, as well as filing a lawsuit against my client’s insurance company for refusing to pay benefits my client is entitled to under the policy my client paid his/her hard-earned money for to protect them in the event of an accident.
My 19-year-old son was born with Down syndrome, allowing me a unique perspective into the world of persons who have disabilities. Over the past two decades, I have developed a passion for helping adults, with issues similar to my son, that have become victims of the negligence and/or greed of those who are responsible for their safety and well-being. Like any adult, people with cognitive disabilities want independence as they achieve adulthood. To allow them to obtain independence oftentimes these adults, our most vulnerable in society, will move into an Adult Foster Care/Group Home, where they have a staff of direct care workers who provide them the support, services and protection they require. Sadly, many times the owners of these homes are more concerned with the “bottom line” over the safety of the residents, and thus inadequately or inappropriately staff the homes.
During my years of practice, I have handled all types of personal injury cases – from a dog bite to a wrongful death lawsuit involving a client killed due to a defective product. My experience covers all forms of personal injury claims.
I am a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, receiving an Honorable Discharge, and am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans. I also proudly serve on multiple boards: Vice President of the Chippewa Valley Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to help further education in the Chippewa Valley School District, and as a Director on the board of the Macomb County Bar Association.
I am blessed with a loving wife, wonderful children and two dogs, who, I happily report, take up most of my free time…I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, E-Discovery, Insurance Coverage, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: PlaintiffFocus areas
Animal Bites, Bad Faith Insurance, Brain Injury, Delayed or Incorrect Diagnosis, Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 70% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% E-Discovery
- 10% Insurance Coverage
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 2002
Professional Webpage: https://www.macomblawgroup.com/attorneys/james-spagnuolo/
- Life Member, Disabled American Veterans
- ARC Services of Macomb
- Families Exploring Down Syndrome
- United States Marine Corps, Honorable Discharge
- Chippewa Valley Educational Foundation
- Michigan State University, Bachelor of Arts in Communication
- Member, State Bar of Michigan
- Sustaining Member, Michigan Association of Justice
- Member, American Association for Justice
- Brain Injury Association of Michigan
- Member, Macomb County Bar Association
- Italian American Bar Association
- The Insurance Industry: Understanding Their Tactics (approaches, tactics, experts, claims personnel) State Farm, Speaker, MAJ No-Fault Institute IX, Michigan Association For Justice, 2012
- Obtaining penalty attorneys fees and interest, Speaker, MAJ No-Fault Institute, 2010
- On June 27, 2022, an Oakland County Jury deliberated for a little over an hour before awarding a $5,344,000.00 verdict to the estate of Aaron Kelly Miller for his wrongful death in 2017 while a resident at an adult foster care home owned by Angels’ Place of Oakland County. “This was a horrific story that never had to happen,” said Jim Spagnuolo, Jr., of the Macomb Law Group attorney for the Estate of Kelly Miller. “The jury verdict is an accurate reflection of the pain and suffering this man endured in the final minutes of his life.” On December 30, 2017, 55-year-old Kelly Miller, who had cognitive disabilities, choked on food, and died, while a resident at the Joliat Home in Commerce Township, Michigan. The Joliat home housed six adult men, and is one of twenty-one adult foster care homes providing residency to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is owned and operated by the non-profit Angel’s Place. On the day of his wrongful death Angels’ Place did not staff the home with enough Direct Care Workers. In addition, the Direct Care Worker that was scheduled to oversee the home was not qualified to work and had poor work evaluations for safety, a history of mental health issues, as well as falling below State of Michigan standards and Angels’ Place’s own regulations. Despite those facts Angels’ Place negligently scheduled the employee to work on December 30, 2017, ultimately causing Kelly Miller’s death. Jim Spagnuolo, Jr. of the Macomb Law Group filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of Kelly’s mother, Joan Miller against the Defendant Angels’ Place in 2018. The case was filed in Oakland County and heard before the Honorable Victoria Valentine. In a four plus year courtroom battle that saw a detour to the Court of Appeals; court-ordered sanctions due to the discovery of destroyed evidence by the Defendant Angels’ Place; and an attempt by Angels’ Place to use Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic as a paid witness to make a claim that “cognitively impaired people cannot feel pain”—a claim struck down by the Judge Valentine as being unsubstantiated by any proof or science. “Over four years they [Angels’ Place] would not admit the mistakes they made that ended this man’s life. There was no limit to their avoidance of the truth to the point of making absurd allegations in their defense,” said Spagnuolo, Jr. “then at the eleventh hour they admitted their liability before our trial was to begin to minimize damages. The jury saw through their veiled attempts.” On June 6, 2022, the attorneys for Angels’ Place admitted their liability in the death of Kelly Miller leaving only the question of what would be awarded to the estate. A two-day trial on damages began on June 24, 2022, before Judge Valentine. On June 27, 2022, after deliberating for a little over an hour the jury came back with their verdict for over five million dollars. “Kelly’s family had to endure his death for over four years waiting for someone to take responsibility, or even offer an apology. That apology never came but justice came by way of a jury.” Spagnuolo added “As a father of a son with Down syndrome I think Angels’ Place does remarkable work; however, I believe they had a stretch of time where they were misguided by poor management, and I hope they get back on the right path and provide the proper care to people with disabilities.”, 2022
- , Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, 2023
- , Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, 2022
- , Top 10 Attorney, The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2021
- , Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, 2021
- , Top 10 Attorney, The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2020
- , Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms US News and World Report, 2020
- , Top 10 Attorney, The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2019
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2015
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2014
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2013
- Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, DBusiness, 2013
- Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, dbusiness, 2012
- Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit, dbusiness, 2011
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2011
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2010
- Car Accidents
- Insurance Bad Faith
- Insurance Wrongful Denial Of Benefits
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Truck And Motorcycle Accidents
- Wrongful Death
Office location for James L. Spagnuolo, Jr.
39501 Garfield Rd.
Clinton Township, MI 48038
Phone: 586-225-7200
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2018 - 2023
- Rising Stars: 2009 - 2010, 2012