We take care of our neighbors in Northern Michigan.
When tragedy strikes Up North, our nationally recognized attorneys are here to help victims and their families secure justice and compensation. We’ve fought these battles in courtrooms across the country, and we’re honored to bring that experience home to represent our neighbors.
We practice here because we’re
looking out for our own.
We love it here, and we take on cases big and small. Bailor Bell and Jacob Goodman work out of our Traverse City office and carry Northern Michigan cases day to day — and behind them sits a firm that has been trying the country’s hardest cases for decades. These are experienced attorneys that rival any in the country, at your fingertips.
Bailor Bell
Represents victims and families in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and mass-casualty cases — and recovered millions for injured clients across Northern Michigan in 2025.
Read Bio
Jacob R. Goodman
Focuses on sexual abuse, hazing, and institutional-liability cases, with a background in civil rights litigation. He returned home to Michigan to represent victims and families here.
Read BioBailor Bell and Jacob Goodman were both named to the Traverse City Business News 40 Under 40, honoring their work for families Up North.
It’s not just Bailor and Jacob. We are local attorneys that run a national trial firm — led by Doug Fierberg, an attorney that has taken on universities, national fraternities, and institutions across the country. We work our Northern Michigan cases together, practicing at our home office in Traverse City.
Traverse City lawsuit for a survivor of gross negligence
I was the victim of gross negligence by an authority figure, whose actions brought me close to death and resulted in severe life-altering injuries. Doug and his team recognized the need for atonement and worked tirelessly to reach a fair outcome. Doug and Bailor made what would have been a stressful and traumatic undertaking seem effortless. My case was well researched, and the team was incredibly kind and supportive. I could not have asked for a better experience.
Personal injury lawsuits handled in Northern Michigan
Car Accidents
A serious wreck Up North is not a routine claim. Rural response times are long, the injuries are severe, and Michigan no-fault decides how much of a family’s care actually gets paid for. We build these cases the way we build a federal institutional case — full investigation, real experts, and a demand that reflects a lifetime of cost.
Our Car Accident LawyersTruck Accidents
Commercial carriers and log trucks whose insurers put investigators on scene within hours. We move first, and we know the federal rules they answer to.
Our Truck Accident LawyersMotorcycle Accidents
Two-lane highways — US-31, M-22, M-72 — where a summer traffic surge meets riders with no cage around them. The injuries are catastrophic; the bias against riders is real.
Our Motorcycle Accident LawyersCatastrophic Injuries
A brain or spinal cord injury. An amputation. A severe burn. These cases turn on proving what the next fifty years will cost, and they require compassion alongside steadfast advocacy.
Our Injury LawyersWrongful Death
When a family loses someone to another’s negligence, the case is about accountability and the future of the people left behind. We handle the probate and estate steps families are rarely told about.
Our Wrongful Death LawyersSexual Assault & Abuse
We represent survivors against employers, property owners, hotels, resorts, and anyone who failed their duty to keep people safe. Together we pursue financial and non-monetary recoveries that give survivors justice and agency.
Our Sexual Assault LawyersViolence at Schools & Universities
No firm has more experience representing students and families in hazing, sexual assault, and school shooting cases. Decades of institutional knowledge that set the precedent holding universities and national fraternities responsible.
School Lawsuit Lawyers
Hundreds of millions recovered. Precedent that changed the law.
This is not a new practice. For decades our lawyers have taken on the institutions almost nobody sues — universities, national fraternities, school districts — and won the rulings that other firms now cite. National media call when those cases break.
That institutional knowledge now sits in an office in Traverse City, working for people Up North.
The man I would run to as though my hair were on fire.
Frequently asked
questions.
A conversation with us isn’t just free, it stays confidential. If you have any questions about us and the legal services we provide, reach out.
Do I even have a case?+
Usually the honest answer takes one conversation. We look at who was responsible, what insurance or institution stands behind them, and whether the harm can be proven and valued. If we do not think you have a case, we will tell you that plainly — and point you somewhere useful if we can.
What does it cost to hire you?+
We take personal injury cases on a contingency fee: no hourly bills, and our fee comes out of a recovery. Case costs and expenses are handled separately and are explained in writing before you sign anything. The initial case review is free and confidential.
Will a local lawyer actually handle my case?+
Yes. Northern Michigan cases are staffed out of our Traverse City office, most often by Bailor Bell or Jacob Goodman, and you will meet the lawyer doing the work. When a case calls for more firepower — a trucking company, a hospital system, a university — the firm’s national trial team is on it too.
How long do I have to bring a claim?+
Michigan generally gives three years for an injury claim, but the real deadlines are often much shorter. No-fault benefits have their own timelines, and claims against a governmental agency can require written notice within months. If something happened, call sooner rather than later — even if you are unsure.
Where do you take cases?+
Our office is in Traverse City and we represent clients throughout the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, as well as nationally. If travel is hard right now, we will come to you.
Tell us what happened.
A case review is free, confidential, and handled by our local experts here in Grand Traverse. If we can’t help you, we know the right people to put you in touch with.
Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until a relationship is established in writing.
Your Northern Michigan Safe Space.
We proudly serve as an Up North Pride Safe Space and a 2026 Callisto Sponsor. No matter who you are or what occurred, you can contact us. We will hear you, maintain confidentiality, and show you respect from our first conversation onward.
