Sinas Dramis Achieves Historic $4.6 Million Wrongful Death Verdict for a Very Special Person
A team at Sinas Dramis Law Firm, led by shareholder Tom Sinas secured a historic $4.6 million wrongful death jury verdict in St. Joseph County after taking a case all the way to trial – an outcome that reflects not only the devastating loss suffered by the family, but also the importance of accountability under Michigan wrongful death law when negligence takes a life. The verdict stands as a powerful reminder that some cases require full courtroom advocacy to achieve justice.
A Case That Had to Be Tried
In today’s personal injury system, many cases resolve before a jury is ever selected. Settlement is often appropriate – but justice does not always come easily, and not every case can be resolved behind closed doors.
This was one of those cases.
After nearly two and a half years of litigation and multiple attempts to resolve the matter, the only remaining path to accountability was trial. A St. Joseph County jury ultimately heard the evidence and returned a verdict in favor of the McBride family – delivering a result that reflects both the gravity of the loss and the strength of the case presented on their behalf.
The McBrides’ Story
On December 23, 2021, Marjorie “Louise” McBride and her husband Bill McBride, age 79, were shopping for 66‑quart plastic storage bins at a Menards store in Three Rivers, Michigan. After locating the aisle where the bins were stocked, they saw that the items they needed were stored on a shelf above head height.
Unable to safely retrieve the bins on their own, the McBrides asked a nearby store employee for assistance. The employee agreed to help.
Tragically, during the retrieval process, the employee used an unsafe method to remove the bins from the shelf. The bins slipped out of the employee’s control and fell, striking Bill McBride on the head.
From a Store Visit to a Medical Emergency
At the time of the incident, Bill McBride was in good health and doing well, according to his primary care physician. Like many people his age, he took a commonly prescribed blood thinner for a heart condition—something that unfortunately made head trauma far more dangerous.
After the bins struck Bill, he and Louise left the store. At that moment, neither of them knew how serious the injury truly was.
Shortly after returning home, Bill began experiencing classic symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, including a severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. Recognizing that something was terribly wrong, Louise rushed him to a local hospital.
What followed was a devastating medical ordeal.
Bill was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, often referred to as a brain bleed – an injury caused by the blow to his head from the falling bins. Over the next two days, Bill was transferred between hospitals, underwent brain surgery, and endured an agonizing decline in his condition.
Despite medical efforts, Bill McBride passed away on Christmas Day, December 25, 2021.
A Life, a Marriage, and a Family Forever Changed
Bill and Louise McBride had been married for more than 50 years. Together, they built a family that included two children, two grandchildren, and four great‑grandchildren.
At the time of Bill’s death, he and Louise were in the midst of an extraordinarily selfless commitment: they were raising two of their great‑grandsons after the children’s parents were no longer able to care for them. Bill was actively helping raise these boys when his life was taken.
Following Bill’s death, Louise – then 80 years old – was left with sole guardianship of the children, one in elementary school and the other in middle school.
The loss was not only emotional. It was permanent, life‑altering, and profoundly unjust.
Accountability Under Michigan Wrongful Death Law
Under Michigan wrongful death law, families are entitled to pursue justice when a loved one’s death is caused by negligence. These cases are about far more than financial recovery—they exist to hold unsafe conduct accountable and to recognize the full scope of loss suffered by surviving family members.
Wrongful death cases often involve difficult questions:
- What safety rules were ignored?
- What harm was foreseeable?
- Could the death have been prevented?
- Who must answer for the consequences?
In this case, the evidence demonstrated that a simple act – safely retrieving merchandise – was performed in a dangerously careless manner. The jury was tasked with evaluating not only what happened, but what should have happened under reasonable standards of care.
The Trial and the Verdict
After lengthy litigation and unsuccessful attempts to resolve the case without trial, the trial began on April 30th in St. Joseph County, in front of the Honorable Judge Paul Stutesman.
Through five days of trial, Attorney Tom Sinas presented the case by calling nearly 20 people as witnesses, along with the assistance of Attorney Steve Weston. The jury heard the full story:
- How the incident occurred
- The medical consequences of the head injury
- The life Bill McBride had lived
- The family he left behind
- The responsibilities taken on by Louise after his death
On Monday, May 6th, the jury received the case, and in less than an hour, returned with a unanimous verdict. All eight jurors found that both Menards and its employee were negligent in the death of Bill McBride, with 99% of the negligence assigned to the Menards corporation. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury returned a verdict of $4,585,122.00 in favor of the McBride family.
Why This Verdict Was Significant
Jury trials in wrongful death cases are rare – not because families don’t deserve justice, but because the process is demanding and defendants often work hard to avoid public accountability.
This verdict stands out because it shows what happens when:
- The evidence is presented fully and truthfully
- A family’s loss is given the dignity it deserves
- A jury is allowed to evaluate a case on the merits
The result reflects not only the economic and emotional harm suffered, but the value of a life and the responsibility businesses owe to the people they serve.
A Commitment to Justice When It Matters Most
At Sinas Dramis Law Firm, wrongful death cases represent the highest level of responsibility a trial lawyer can take on. These cases demand meticulous preparation, compassion for grieving families, and the willingness to stand before a jury when settlement is not enough.
This verdict is not about celebration. It is about accountability, dignity, and honoring a life that should never have been lost.
For families facing the unthinkable, justice sometimes requires persistence all the way to a verdict – and the McBride family’s case stands as a powerful example of why that effort matters.
Michigan’s Advocates for the Injured. We Do More.
Watch: The Story Behind the Verdict
For readers who want additional insight into this case and why it mattered, we’ve created a short video that explains what happened, how the case unfolded, and why taking it to trial was necessary under Michigan wrongful death law.
The video provides additional legal context directly from the team involved and further explains the significance of the jury’s decision.