Paul Shibley

Paul Shibley has spent more than 30 years representing people whose lives have been changed by serious injuries. As one of West Michigan’s most experienced trial attorneys, he has built a reputation for steady leadership, clear communication, and results grounded in compassion and accountability.

Paul focuses his practice on auto negligence and Michigan Auto No-Fault law, working primarily out of the firm’s downtown Muskegon office. He serves as the only Executive Board Member of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) from Muskegon or Ottawa County, keeping him at the forefront of changes that affect injury victims statewide.

Recognized by his peers as a Michigan Super Lawyer® every year since 2012, Paul is also a Fellow of the Michigan Bar Foundation—an honor given to less than five percent of attorneys in Michigan—and has previously been named among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the state.

Beyond the courtroom, Paul is a lifelong outdoorsman and fly fisherman who calls downtown Grand Haven home. 

He’s known for bringing that same patience, focus, and respect for detail to his legal work that he brings to a quiet riverbank. Through his photography, he also captures the realities of vehicle collisions, preserving vital evidence that helps tell his clients’ stories at trial.

For Paul, every case is personal because every client deserves an attorney who stays with them from start to finish.

With more than 30 years of trial experience, Paul Shibley has built a reputation for steady advocacy and proven results. His work has helped countless West Michigan families secure meaningful outcomes in complex personal injury cases involving auto negligence, Michigan No-Fault insurance, and catastrophic injuries.

The results below reflect Paul’s commitment to achieving fair, lasting results for the people he represents.

Auto Negligence Jury Verdict – Muskegon County
Jury awarded the client more than triple the insurance company’s offer in a highly contested case. The verdict was paid with judgment interest.

Auto Negligence Jury Verdict – Wayne County
Plaintiff verdict and sanctions awarded in a case where the insurer offered nothing. The verdict with sanctions was fully paid.

Auto Negligence Jury Verdict – Oakland County
Plaintiff verdict obtained and paid with interest after insurer’s zero offer was rejected by the jury.

First-Party No-Fault Benefits Verdict – Muskegon County 

Jury ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a case involving a cutting-edge spinal disk replacement surgery. The insurer argued the procedure was experimental and refused payment. The verdict established the surgery as a medically appropriate treatment and required the insurer to pay the $50,000 cost plus sanctions.

Uninsured Motorist Verdict – Muskegon County
Insurer offered nothing, claiming the injury was preexisting. The jury accepted the treating doctor’s testimony over the insurer’s expert. Verdict and sanctions were paid.

Combined Auto Negligence and No-Fault Verdict – Muskegon County
Jury awarded full medical expenses, wage loss, and pain and suffering after rejecting the insurer’s argument that a herniated disc predated the accident.

Underinsured Motorist Verdict – Kalamazoo County
Client suffered spinal injuries requiring ongoing treatment. The insurer offered nothing. Jury awarded $75,000 in damages.

 Verdict of $75,000 for Plaintiff in an underinsured motorist case. Kalamazoo County. Zero offer from insurance company. Client suffered spinal injuries requiring chiropractic and pain management treatment which did allow him to continue working.

$1,250,000 – Utility Worker Injury (Michigan)
Utility employee struck by a fallen pole that became entangled with a semi-truck. The case involved complex liability issues and multiple defendants.

$975,000 – Semi-Truck Collision (Montcalm County)
Catastrophic head-on collision involving tandem semis. Believed to be the largest settlement in Montcalm County in 2023.

$875,000 – High-Speed Auto Collision (Muskegon County)

Settlement for an elderly couple seriously injured by a driver traveling 107 mph on US-31. Case resolved before trial due to aggressive scheduling strategy.

$500,000 – Trucking Accident (Ottawa County) 

Mother injured in a contested liability trucking crash. A key witness confirmed the truck driver’s distraction immediately before the collision. Case resolved through case evaluation.

$500,000 – Auto Accident (Muskegon County)
Mother injured when a snowplow backed into her vehicle. Settlement achieved through facilitation despite contested liability and medical causation.

$475,000 – Head-On Auto Collision (Ottawa County)
Settlement for a man hit head-on by an elderly driver who veered into his lane.

$400,000 – Drunk Driving Collision (Newaygo County)
Settlement for a man seriously injured by an intoxicated driver.

$370,000 – Auto Accident (Muskegon County)
Settlement for a Muskegon resident seriously injured in a head-on collision.

$250,000 – Pedestrian Injury (Barry County)
Policy-limit settlement for a pedestrian severely injured while pushing a car out of the snow.

$245,000 – School Bus Injury (Michigan)
Settlement for a high school student with severe spinal injuries after being thrown from his seat when the bus struck an object in the road.

$225,000 – Intersection Collision (Kent County)
Settlement for a man who required hand surgery after being struck by a vehicle that ran a red light.

$200,000 – Farm Road Accident (St. Joseph County) 

Woman injured when another driver ran a stop sign. Liability was contested; settlement achieved after extensive discovery.

$185,000 – Facility Injury (Van Buren County)
Settlement for an older woman injured by a falling door while playing pickleball. Expert testimony was key to the resolution.

$180,000 – Chain-Reaction Accident (Calhoun County) 

Shoulder injury caused by a multi-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck that could not stop on snowy roads.

$175,000 – Winter Collision (Kent County)
Settlement for a young woman injured in a ditch when her disabled car was struck by a sliding semi-truck. Expert meteorologist testimony refuted “sudden emergency” defense.

$150,000 – Rear-End Collision (Kent County)
Settlement for client who suffered post-concussive symptoms following a rush-hour crash.

$150,000 – Drunk Driving Accident (Muskegon County)
Settlement achieved after a drunk driver fled the scene of a crash.

$140,000 – Premises Liability (Kent County)
Landlord liability case involving a collapsed step and resulting arm surgery.

$125,000 – Highway Collision (Muskegon County)
Settlement for a man who required spinal surgery after being struck by a reckless driver on US-31.

$120,000 – Stop-Sign Collision (Ottawa County)
Settlement for a man who suffered spinal injuries when another driver ran a stop sign.

$105,000 – Rollover Accident (Berrien County)
Settlement for a young woman with post-concussive syndrome following a rollover crash.

$100,000 – Auto Accident (Ottawa County)
Policy-limit settlement achieved without litigation for a client who suffered spinal injury in a low-impact collision.

$100,000 – Weather-Related Truck Crash (Van Buren County)
Settlement for a woman whose existing spinal condition was aggravated in a trucking accident.

Executive Board Member, Michigan Association for Justice (2008–Present)

Fellow, Michigan Bar Foundation (2009–Present)

 
Super Lawyer^® Award from recognition by other attorneys in Michigan (2012-2020)

The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Michigan Personal Injury (2014-2020)

Litigating Dram Shop Cases – Michigan No-Fault Seminar (2015)

Obtaining Verdicts in Uninsured Motorist Litigation – MAJ Rapid Fire Seminar (2015)

Effectively Fighting Insurance Company Tactics to Obtain Verdicts – MAJ Ski Seminar (2011)

Practice Management Skills for the Sole Practitioner – MAJ Ski Seminar (2010)

Paul has also served as second chair in two confidential, multi-million-dollar settlements, assisting in the successful resolution of complex catastrophic injury claims.