Practice areas: Personal Injury; view more
Licensed in Michigan since: 2013
Education: University of Minnesota Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2015 - 2018 Call today:
616-344-2290
Free Consultation Sinas Dramis Law Firm
435 Cherry St SEGrand Rapids, MI 49503 Visit website
Details
A partner at the Sinas Dramis Law Firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Thomas Sinas is a knowledgeable and judicious attorney who helps victims of catastrophic injuries get the compensation they deserve for their pain and suffering. He is adept at handling motor vehicle accidents, truck wrecks and wrongful death, and his practice has an added emphasis on traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and spinal cord injuries. He weathers every obstacle thrown at him in his clients’ cases and strives for top-quality advocacy to help his clients get over the line.
Mr. Sinas completed his undergraduate studies in 2001 at the University of Michigan, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with high honors as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in jazz studies with the highest distinction. His education in music still informs him in his practice, as he understands that no matter the profession, those who seek to improve their talents will go the farthest, and he keeps this in practice every day.
Attending the University of Minnesota Law School, Mr. Sinas received his Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 2006. The same year he graduated law school, he obtained his license to practice in Minnesota, and in 2013, he was licensed to practice in Michigan. Furthermore, he is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Throughout his illustrious career, he has achieved significant verdicts and settlements, responsible for many of the firm's largest, on behalf of his clients,
Since his introduction to the Michigan legal community, Mr. Sinas has gained the adulation of his peers for his focus on creating a pristine, client-centric practice that sets a high bar for the standard of service in his industry. The readers of the Grand Rapids Magazine and the Grand Rapids Business Journal voted him the Best Personal Injury Attorney in Grand Rapids, and moreover, Leading Lawyers acknowledged him in their lists of Top 10 Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Lawyer in Michigan and Top 100 Leading Lawyers. In addition, he was named one of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in plaintiff’s personal injury representation, along with holding a “Superb” rating on Avvo and being a recipient of the site’s Client’s Choice Award. In 2023, Tom was the only West Michigan personal injury lawyer named to both the "Michigan Go-To Lawyer Power List" and "Michigan Go-To Negligence Lawyer" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
Outside his law practice, Mr. Sinas is closely affiliated with a plethora of prominent legal organizations, including the International Society of Barristers, Grand Rapids Bar Association, Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN), Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA), Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), and the State Bar of Michigan.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Animal Bites, Brain Injury, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 100% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 2006, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: https://sinasdramis.com/michigan-personal-injury-attorneys/g...
Bar / Professional Activity
- Trustee, Grand Rapids Bar Association, 2015
- Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) – Member
- State Bar of Michigan, Board of Commissioners, 2019 – Present
- International Society of Barristers – Member, 2023 – Present
- Minnesota, 2006
- Michigan, 2013
- Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), Board of Directors, 2015 – Present, 2015
- Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN) – Associate General Counsel
- Vice President, Legal Assistance Center, 2016
- Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ)
- Committee Member, Justice Foundation of West Michigan, 2014
- Member, State Bar of Michigan
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $7,775,000 – Wrongful death settlement and personal injury settlements for a Michigan family suffering the untimely death of the driver (husband and father two other passengers), serious physical injuries, and psychological trauma as the result of another vehicle turning abruptly in front of the family vehicle.
- $7,000,000 – Semi-truck collision resulting in death and serious physical injuries to three adult members of one Michigan family. The tragedy was caused by an inattentive semi-truck driver who made an illegal left turn, causing a violent collision and inflicting enormous harms and losses. Obtaining justice for this family required filing suit in another state against the trucking company.
- $5,000,000 – Wrongful death settlement on behalf of a West Michigan family for the suffering and death of a beloved 74-year-old Barry County woman who suffered extensive personal injuries after being struck by a forklift in the parking lot of a local hardware store. The woman was survived by her husband of 51 years, adult daughter, and three grandchildren.
- $4,000,000– Auto liability case involving serious and life-altering injuries to a young woman who sustained an injury to her spinal cord. Our firm helped secure a pre-suit settlement by putting together a comprehensive presentation that included a detailed written summary and a documentary-style film with extensive video footage, photographs, radiology images, and interviews with the young woman’s family, friends, and medical professionals.
- $1,500,000 - Policy limits wrongful death settlement involving tragic death of Thumb Area man who was killed in a dual motor vehicle crash in Huron County
Educational Background
- B.A., University of Michigan – Economics, 2001
- B.F.A, University of Michigan – Jazz Studies, 2001
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- The Dire Consequences of D Insurance (SB 288) – 31st Annual Western Michigan Brain Injury, 2016
- Using the Internet Archive to Investigate and Strengthen Your Case, Journal of Minnesota Association for Justice, 2008
- Damages Questions on the Special Verdict Form, Journal of Minnesota Association for Justice, 2010
- Professionalism in Medicine: A Case-Based Guide for Medical Students (book), contributing author, 2010
- “Texts, Lies, and Identity Theft: Prosecuting Complex Financial Fraud with Minnesota’s Racketeering Statute”, William Mitchel Law Review, 2013
- A New Trap for the Unwary No-Fault Lawyer – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2014
- A Judicially-Created Disqualification from No-Fault Benefits – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2014
- A Quick Guide to Michigan No-Fault Law (co-authored with George Sinas), 2014
- Uber Raises Public Safety Concerns, Lansing State Journal, 2014
- There’s One Important Question Left Out of Grand Rapids’ Airbnb Discussion, The Grand Rapids Press/MLive, 2014
- Standing Strong: Michigan Court of Appeals Affirms Medical Providers’ Rights to Sue No-Fault Insurers – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2015
- Don’t Overlook the Intentional Auto Tort – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2015
- Michigan Supreme Court Affirm Mind-Body Connection – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2015
- The Michigan Auto No-Fault Law: Your Rights & Benefits, 8th edition (co-authored with George Sinas and Stephen Sinas), 2015
- When Publication Leads to Clarification, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2015
- Auto no-fault reform is anti-jobs, anti-free market, anti-Michigan, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 2015
- Abuse of no-fault law happens on both sides, hurts victims, Bridge Magazine, 2015
- Beware of the Family ‘Step-Down’ Auto Insurance Clause, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2016
- Reasonable Proof: It’s Simpler than You Think, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2016
- You Are What You Plead: Michigan Supreme Court Clarifies District Courts’ Subject Matter Jurisdiction, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2016
- A Stitch in Time: Supreme Court Softens the One-Year Notice Rule in PIP Cases, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2016
- A New Frontier in the Wild West of ERISA Litigation, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2016
- A New Lifeboat for Medical Providers Adrift in the No-Fault Sea, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2016
- Kalamazoo shootings should put brakes on Uber’s legislative agenda in Lansing, Bridge Magazine, 2016
- Adverse Medical Examinations in Personal Injury Cases: Following the Rules, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2017
- Yes, there is a Threshold–And It’s Working, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2017
- Understanding the Whole Injury, Innovative Health Magazine, 2017
- A Midwestern Traveler’s Thoughts on Jury Selection Logistics, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2017
- Covenant Medical Center v. State Farm: A Sea Change in Michigan’s Auto No-Fault System, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2017
- Excess Economic Loss in Auto Liability Cases: Remembering the Fundamentals, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2017
- Written Notice and Statutes of Limitations, Michigan Civil Procedure, Second Edition, 2018
- Res Ipsa and Spoliation: A Dangerous Combination, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2018
- Michigan Supreme Court: Insurers Have No Absolute Right to Rescission, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2018
- New Stirrings in Auto Threshold Law, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2018
- Notice of a No-Fault Claim: Michigan Supreme Court Chooses Simplicity over Complexity, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2018
- Michigan’s Quirky Expert Deposition Rules, Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2018
- Remembering Your No-Fault Priorities – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2019
- Don’t Be Fooled by the Insurance Industry’s Shiny Objects – Grand Rapids Business Journal, 2019
- Remembering Your No-Fault Priorities – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2019
- Auto No-Fault Threshold: Peace At Last? – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2019
- You’re Either In or You’re Out: Determining Dependency in Survivor’s Loss Claims – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2019
- When Chaos Devolves into Anarchy: the Hot Mess of Public Acts 21 and 22 – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2019
- Navigating the Chaos: The New No-Fault Legislation – co-authored with George Sinas and Stephen Sinas, 2019
- Written Notice and Statutes of Limitations, Michigan Civil Procedure, 2020 Update to Second Edition, 2020
- The End of Psychological Exams by No-Fault Insurers – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2020
- Out of State But Not Out of Mind – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2020
- Making Smart Choices: A Summary Guide to the New Auto No-Fault Law” – co-authored with George Sinas and Stephen Sinas, an in-depth guide to consumer choices under the 2019 reformed auto no-fault law, 2020
- The Intersection of Grunge Rock and Auto Liability Threshold Law – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2020
- Court System, Meet the No-Fault Choice Mess – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2020
- “Protecting the Injured: A Summary Guide to the New Auto No-Fault Law” – co-authored with George Sinas and Stephen Sinas, this brochure is an essential resource to those injured in Michigan motor vehicle accidents, 2020
- Motorcycles, Company Cars, and the No-Fault “Choice” Fallacy – Grand Rapids Lawyer, 2020
- New Auto Insurance Liability Limits, New Complexities – Grand Rapids Lawyer, January – February, 2021
- RIP, Bahri – You Will Not Be Missed – Grand Rapids Lawyer, March – April, 2021
- Auto Law’s Alphabet Soup: PIP, MACP, and ERISA Health Plans – Grand Rapids Lawyer, May – June, 2021
- Auto No-Fault Deform: Chapter III – Grand Rapids Lawyer, September-October, 2021
- Auto Threshold Law: A Year in Review – Grand Rapids Lawyer, November-December, 2021
- Into Thin Air: Medicaid Liens and Personal Injury Settlements – Grand Rapids Lawyer, January-February, 2022
- Snowmobiling With Alice in Legal Wonderland – Grand Rapids Lawyer, March – April, 2022
- Unclothing the Emperor: Straight Talk from the Michigan Court of Appeals about the “Independent” Medical Examination Fallacy – Grand Rapids Lawyer, May – June, 2022
- Auto Liability and the Insidious Causation Problem – Grand Rapids Lawyer, September – October, 2022
- Venue in Multi-Defendant Tort Cases – Grand Rapids Lawyer, November – December, 2022
- Auto Threshold Law: Another Year in Review – Grand Rapids Lawyer, January – February, 2023
- Further Reflections on Motorcycles and No-Fault Priority – Grand Rapids Lawyer, May – June, 2023
- Can the Law Save Lives? – Grand Rapids Lawyer, September – October, 2023
- Auto Threshold: Another Year In Review 2023 – Grand Rapids Lawyer – November -December, 2023
- “Going Back in Time: Using the Internet Archive,” American Association for Justice Mid-Year Convention, 2008
- “To Answer or Not to Answer: Legal Arguments for and Against Requiring the Jury to Answer the Damage Question,” Minnesota Association for Justice Annual Convention, 2009
- “Mortgage and Real Estate Fraud,” Minnesota Sheriff’s Association/Law Enforcement Training Service, 2012
- “Beyond Admire: Recent Court of Appeals Decisions Regarding the Everyday Living Needs of Catastrophically Injured,” CPAN: Admire II Workshop, 2013
- “Racketeering Forfeiture,” Financial Crime Training, 2013
- “Criminal Law,” People’s Law School, 2013
- “Auto Law 101,” “Let Our Voices be Heard” CPAN workshop, 2014
- “A Legal Analysis of the Admire Problem,” CPAN Admire III Workshop, 2014
- “Auto Law 101 and Pending No-Fault Legislation,” Mary Free Bed Patient Advocate Advisory Council, 2014
- “The Admire Problem,” Michigan Association for Justice, 2014
- “Admire v. Auto-Owners Ins. Co.,” Michigan Supreme Court Judicial Conference, 2014
- “Rules of the Road: Michigan Auto Law,” People’s Law School, 2014
- “Preparing the Medical Professional for a Deposition,” Brain Injury Association of Michigan 2015 Legal Conference, 2015
- “Auto Law 101,” CPAN Advocacy Training Workshop, 2015
- “Auto No-Fault Update,” CPAN Town Hall, 2015
- “Overview of the Michigan No-Fault Law,” MANS Meeting 2015: Navigating a Changing Neurosurgical Landscape, 2015
- “Intersection: The Sharing Economy and the Law,” NALS Membership Meeting, 2015
- “Michigan Auto No-Fault Law Update,” Mary Free Bed, Spinal Cord Symposium, September 2023
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” 3rd Annual No-Fault Summit (ICLE), 2016
- “Michigan Auto No-Fault for Medical Professionals,” Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Spinal Cord Symposium, 2016
- “Multiple Threats: Auto No-Fault Law Update,” 31st Annual Western Michigan Brain Injury Network Symposium, 2016
- “The Enemy Within: Third-Party Mini Update,” Michigan Association for Justice Annual Meeting, 2016
- “Uber and Other Ridesharing Services,” MAJ No-Fault Institute, 2016
- “Proving Life Impact in Threshold Cases: Judicial References and Medical Research,” MAJ No-Fault Institute, 2016
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Litigation 4th Annual No-Fault Summit, 2017
- “Provider v. Patient Lawsuits: What Are the Rules?” Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council 2nd Annual Auto No-Fault Boot Camp, 2017
- “How Does Covenant Affect Existing Provider Cases?” Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council 2nd Annual Auto No-Fault Boot Camp, 2017
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Education No-Fault Institute, 2018
- “Workshop on Provider Litigation in the Post-Covenant World,” Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council 3rd Annual Auto No-Fault Boot Camp, 2018
- “The Ongoing Impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Admire v Auto-Owners,” Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council 3rd Annual Auto No-Fault Boot Camp, 2018
- “Escape from Litigation Island,” Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault Annual Meeting, 2018
- “Personal Injury Damages,” National Association for Legal Assistants Webinar “Covenant: One Year Later,” Michigan Adjusters Association, 2018
- “Development and Trial of a Negligent Entrustment Case,” Michigan Association for Justice No-Fault Institute, 2018
- “Peace at Last? Third-Party Auto 2019 Update,” ICLE No-Fault Summit, 2019
- Auto No-Fault Presentation – explained the new no-fault law to members of CPAN, 2019
- Auto No-Fault Presentation – shared changes to the state’s no-fault law to Teter Orthotics and Prosthetics Inc., 2019
- “Auto-Owners v. Compass Health,” MBIPC Bootcamp, 2019
- “The Current State of Auto No-Fault Insurance,” BIAMI Fall Conference, 2019
- “Michigan No-Fault Reform: Understanding the Controversy,” People’s Law School, 2019
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Education No-Fault Institute, 2020
- Auto No-Fault Presentation, Grand Rapids Round Table, March 2020
- “Michigan’s New Auto Insurance Law: The Bottom Line, Town Hall with CPAN, March 2020
- “2020 Changes to Michigan’s Auto Insurance Law” – virtual event cohosted with The Reno Agency, June 2020
- “PIP Options,” MAJ’s Virtual No-Fault Institute, October 2020
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Education No-Fault Institute, April 2021
- “No-Fault PIP Choice Options,” MBIPC Auto No-Fault Boot Camp, January 2021
- “Understanding the New Auto No-Fault Law,” MOPA Spring Seminar, June 2021
- “The PIP Opt-Out,” MAJ’s No-Fault Institute, October 2021
- “Auto Negligence/Tort Threshold Update,” MAJ’s No-Fault Institute, October 2021
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Education No-Fault Institute, April 2022
- “Michigan No-Fault Reform,” Michigan Guardianship Association 2022 Spring Conference
- Upper Michigan Legal Institue, June 2022
- “Auto Negligence & Tort Threshold,” Michigan Association of Justice N0-Fault Institute XIX, September 2022
- “Third-Party Threshold Litigation,” Institute for Continuing Education No-Fault Institute, April 2023
Honors
- Michigan Go-To Laywer Power List, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2023
- Michigan’s “Go-To Lawyers” in Negligence Law – Michigan Lawyers Weekly – 2024
- Best Lawyers in America, 2024
- Leading Lawyers, Peer Selected, 2018 – 2024
- Grand Rapids Top Lawyers – Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Excellence Award, American Association for Justice, New Lawyers Division, 2008
- Clients’ Choice Award, AVVO, 2014-2016
- “Prevention Award”, Brain Injury Association of Michigan, 2016
- “Up & Coming Lawyer”, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2016
- Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Star”, 2015 – 2018
- Michigan Super Lawyers, 2019 – Present
- Top 10 Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Lawyer – Leading Lawyers, 2020
- Best Personal Injury Attorney in Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids Magazine, 2021
- Best Brief Award, University of Minnesota Law School, 2004
Selections
8 Years Super Lawyers
4 Years Rising Stars
- Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2015 - 2018
