Mecosta County Medical Center v. Metropolitan Group Property

Summary

The Michigan Supreme Court held that medical providers who received an assignment of an insured's PIP claim before a judgment against the assignor were not in privity with the assignor as to that later judgment. Because the providers were neither parties nor privies in the earlier action, the judgment did not support claim or issue preclusion, and the Court affirmed the Court of Appeals and remanded. The Court distinguished cases involving derivative medical-provider claims or different litigation relationships from an ordinary assignment.