GARY MICHAEL MELVIN V CITIZENS INSURANCE CO
Annotate this Case
Download PDF
STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
GARY MICHAEL MELVIN,
UNPUBLISHED
November 25, 1997
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v
No. 199380
Wayne Circuit Court
LC No. 95-522761 NF
CITIZENS INSURANCE COMPANY OF
AMERICA,
Defendant-Appellee.
Before: Jansen, P.J., and Fitzgerald and Young, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Plaintiff ’s claim for uninsured motorist benefits was dismissed by the trial court on the basis of
the Fireman’s Rule, in light of plaintiff ’s position as a police officer and the fact that he was on duty at
the time of the accident. The case was presented to the trial court and this Court on a stipulated
statement of facts, which specifies that although plaintiff was on duty, he had received permission from
his superior to conduct a brief personal errand in his patrol area, and he was engaged in this pursuit
when his motorcycle collided with a second motor vehicle driven by an uninsured motorist. This appeal
is being decided without oral argument pursuant to MCR 7.214(E).
At the time of plaintiff ’s injury, he was arguably on a break in the course of his duties, but in any
event his occupation did not increase his risk of injury. Under these circumstances, the Fireman’s Rule
does not apply, and summary disposition was erroneously granted. Atkinson v City of Detroit, 222
Mich App 7; 564 NW2d 473 (1997).
Reversed and remanded to the Wayne Circuit Court for further proceedings consistent with this
opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
/s/ Kathleen Jansen
/s/ E. Thomas Fitzgerald
/s/ Robert P. Young, Jr.
-1
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.