For over 15 years, Justin L. Cole has successfully represented contractors, sub-contractors, and property owners in serious high-exposure personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage litigation. Mr. Cole expends considerable effort to remain up-to-date in this area of the law to ensure his clients are promptly advised of all legislative and case law developments as they occur.

Mr. Cole has obtained many successful jury verdicts over the years, the most recent of which involved a lawsuit brought by a County Road Commission against a supplier of aggregate that was to be used to re-surface 21 miles of road. It was alleged that Mr. Cole’s client supplied the wrong gradation of aggregate for the project, which resulted in the total failure of 21 miles of road. The Road Commission asked the jury for over $1.3 million in damages as a result of the road failure. After a three day trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Mr. Cole’s client

Mr. Cole has been with Secrest Wardle since 2009. He became a Partner in 2010 and an Executive Partner in 2020. He is a member of the Firm’s Construction, Malpractice/Professional Liability, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire, and Casualty Practice Groups. Mr. Cole earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004 and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and Business from Calvin College in 2001. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Cole is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has previously been involved with the Building Owners and Managers Association of West Michigan (BOMA) and has presented at the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s (IIM) annual conferences. Mr. Cole has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2017 through the present, he has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine’s list of Michigan Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General – Defense.

As a member of Secrest Wardle’s Malpractice/Professional Liability Practice Group, Justin L. Cole represents insurers, insurance agents, realtors, property management companies, building owners, construction companies, contractors, and sub-contractors. Mr. Cole has managed malpractice and professional liability claims involving errors and omissions, failures to disclose, misrepresentation, fraud, and defective workmanship.

Mr. Cole has been with Secrest Wardle since 2009. He became a Partner in 2010 and an Executive Partner in 2020. He is a member of the Firm’s Construction, Malpractice/Professional Liability, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire, and Casualty Practice Groups. Mr. Cole earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Business from Calvin College in 2001. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Cole is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has previously been involved with the Building Owners and Managers Association of West Michigan (BOMA) and has presented at the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s (IIM) annual conferences. Mr. Cole has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2017 through the present, he has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine’s list of Michigan Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General – Defense.

Justin L. Cole has successfully defended insurers, corporations, trucking companies, and individuals in a variety of no-fault first and third-party automobile negligence matters including claims for uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits. Mr. Cole regularly handles high-exposure personal injury and wrongful death claims. Mr. Cole’s Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and extensive motor vehicle litigation experience provide him with a unique understanding of the medical issues presented in personal injury cases and the effect injuries have on the functioning of the body.

Mr. Cole has been with Secrest Wardle since 2009. He became a Partner in 2010 and an Executive Partner in 2020. He is a member of the Firm’s Construction, Malpractice/Professional Liability, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire, and Casualty Practice Groups. Mr. Cole earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Business from Calvin College in 2001. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Cole is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has previously been involved with the Building Owners and Managers Association of West Michigan (BOMA) and has presented at the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s (IIM) annual conferences. Mr. Cole has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2017 through the present, he has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine’s list of Michigan Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General – Defense.

Justin L. Cole has represented property owners, managers, and third-party management companies in a wide range of premises liability claims for over 15 years. He has considerable experience and expertise defending injury cases involving “black ice,” snow, and other allegedly defective conditions on property. Additionally, Mr. Cole represents property management companies and commercial landlords throughout Michigan. He also handles matters for private clients involving real property disputes, including disclosure issues, adverse possession, boundary line disputes, foreclosures, liens, plat amendments and vacations, purchase agreements, and land contracts.

Mr. Cole has obtained favorable jury verdicts throughout Michigan, the most recent of which involved a plaintiff that fell down an open unguarded stairwell in a dimly lit portion of a bar, resulting in serious personal injury. The plaintiff and witnesses testified that the stairwell area was dark and unlit, and that the bi-fold door at the top of the stairs that should have been closed, was open. This testimony negated the open and obvious defense, so trial efforts were focused on the plaintiff’s comparative negligence, which the jury determined to be 51%, thus barring her claim for non-economic (pain and suffering) damages; and reducing her economic claim (for medical costs) by 51%.

Mr. Cole has been with Secrest Wardle since 2009. He became a Partner in 2010 and an Executive Partner in 2020. He is a member of the Firm’s Construction, Malpractice/Professional Liability, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire, and Casualty Practice Groups. Mr. Cole earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Business from Calvin College in 2001. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Cole is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has previously been involved with the Building Owners and Managers Association of West Michigan (BOMA) and has presented at the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s (IIM) annual conferences. Mr. Cole has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2017 through the present, he has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine’s list of Michigan Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General – Defense.

Justin L. Cole has provided exceptional legal representation to a variety of property, fire and casualty clients for over 15 years. He has successfully represented contractors, sub-contractors, fire suppression system installers and service companies, and insurers. Mr. Cole regularly handles complex property, fire and casualty claims involving home and building construction and maintenance, in both residential and commercial settings. Mr. Cole expends considerable effort to stay current with fire investigation codes and standards.

Mr. Cole has obtained successful jury verdicts in various counties throughout Michigan, the most recent of which involved a fire suppression company’s alleged improper installation and maintenance of a fire suppression system in a restaurant. It was alleged that a nitrogen actuation cartridge was not fully threaded into the suppression system’s mounting block, which prevented the release of the suppression agent when a fire ignited on a stove top. The restaurant sustained significant fire damage in the kitchen, smoke damage throughout the entire structure, destroyed contents, and business interruption and income loss. Despite having to concede that the actuation cartridge was not properly set, Mr. Cole convinced the jury that the suppression system was not designed to extinguish fire in the areas where the fire spread, that the restaurant cooks had turned the range vent off that night before leaving which would have resulted in a longer delay had the system released the suppression agent, and that the restaurant owners failed to comply with several provisions of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Mr. Cole has been with Secrest Wardle since 2009. He became a Partner in 2010 and an Executive Partner in 2020. He is a member of the Firm’s Construction, Malpractice/Professional Liability, Motor Vehicle Litigation, Premises Liability, and Property, Fire, and Casualty Practice Groups. Mr. Cole earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004 and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and Business from Calvin College in 2001. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Cole is an active member of the State Bar of Michigan. He has previously been involved with the Building Owners and Managers Association of West Michigan (BOMA) and has presented at the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s (IIM) annual conferences. Mr. Cole has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. From 2017 through the present, he has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine’s list of Michigan Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury General – Defense.