The 2026 Michigan Supreme Court election deserves the attention of every physician who has an interest in the future of medical liability in Michigan. The Michigan Doctors’ Political Action Committee (MDPAC) is proud to endorse the Honorable Michael Warren and the Honorable Casandra Morse-Bills. These judges have strong track records of applying the law fairly and impartially for all Michiganders. MDPAC believes they will follow long-standing precedent in medical liability cases, allowing physicians to feel secure that the ground upon which they stand will not suddenly shift.
As Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Board Member and Past President Mark Komorowski, MD, says, “The Supreme Court election is the most important one in Michigan this November.” The Court’s decisions affect the legal environment in which physicians practice. The issues are not limited to one individual malpractice case. Decisions concerning expert testimony, statutes of limitation, damages and other elements of medical liability can establish precedents that affect physicians, hospitals and patients throughout Michigan.
The medical community has seen how changes in the law can develop over time. The effort to address escalating medical liability costs in the 1980s eventually resulted in legislation that established important safeguards concerning medical malpractice litigation. Those reforms have provided a framework for addressing legitimate claims while establishing standards intended to prevent unreliable testimony and excessive or unpredictable liability.
Recent Supreme Court decisions have brought renewed attention to those safeguards. In Danhoff v. Fahim, the Court addressed the admissibility of expert testimony and whether the absence of peer-reviewed literature, standing alone, was sufficient to exclude an expert. The decision generated concern among medical organizations about how Michigan’s existing standards for expert testimony could be applied in future cases. Other cases involving non-economic damages and the determination of earning potential for minors also have implications for the medical liability system.
The 2026 election therefore comes at a time when the composition of the Court is particularly significant. This election will determine which candidates serve the next eight-year terms and, consequently, which justices will participate in decisions involving the interpretation of Michigan law and precedent.
For further information, please contact MSMS Director of Government Affairs, Kate Dorsey at 517-336-5737 or kdorsey@msms.org.