For Mid-Michigan flood victims, waiting for their day in court took nearly six years.

Accountability, when the State of Michigan is involved, is rarely swift. It is earned through persistence, evidence and a refusal to accept delay as the final answer.

That opportunity finally came in January 2026.

After nearly three weeks of testimony, a civil bench trial concluded in the Michigan Court of Claims, where attorneys representing homeowners and business owners devastated by the Edenville and Sanford dam failures presented their case to the court. The focus was narrow but critical: whether the State of Michigan bears responsibility for the catastrophic flooding on May 19, 2020.

Ven Johnson Law represents 250 flood victims and serves as lead counsel for thousands of affected families and businesses.

"This phase of the case was about responsibility," said Tom Waun, managing partner of Ven Johnson Law's Flint office and a lead attorney in the trial. "We presented expert testimony to explain what happened, why it happened and how the State's actions directly contributed to the failure."

During the bench trial, the court heard detailed testimony from experts in dam safety, meteorology, hydrology and geotechnical engineering. That evidence addressed rainfall, water management decisions and how state-directed water levels behind the dam created conditions that made failure inevitable. Experts testified that had water levels been properly managed before the storm, the breach would not have occurred.

The dam failures triggered evacuations across Midland and Gladwin counties, destroying approximately 2,500 homes and businesses and displacing more than 10,000 residents.

Because the case is bifurcated, the trial addressed liability only, and damages were not yet considered. At the conclusion of testimony, Judge James Redford ordered both sides to submit post-trial written briefs by February 26, 2026. Once briefing is complete, the court will review the full evidentiary record and issue a written opinion determining whether the case proceeds to the next phase to determine a payout.

There is no guaranteed timeline for when Judge Redford's will issue his opinion. He has acknowledged the volume and complexity of the record, with a ruling expected in the coming months.

What is clear is this: Ven Johnson Law will continue to stand with these victims. Nearly six years after their lives were upended, the pursuit of accountability is not over.

Justice is not measured by how long it takes but by whether responsibility is finally assigned.