Retaliation After Protected Activities, Struggling To Find Or Determine If Lawyer Needed

Location: Michigan/USA

I do not want to give too much information in fear of my employer reading, but I am an Electrical Engineer who works in Michigan with many years of experience.

I switch industries and begin working at a new employer for a couple years. My last performance review was great, but medical issues came up which had caused attendance problems. This was disclosed to my employer while I sought after treatment. Throughout the year I report several safety violations, two of which could have deadly consequences. Leadership does not respond. I receive a written warning for attendance, which I contests since I have written acknowledgements and approvals from my supervisor. In good faith I assume HR is investigating and will correct the incident since I have hard evidence to disprove the claims. Another quarter goes by and I escalate one of the safety concerns due to how deadly it could be, for context workers are exposed to moving parts without a compliant emergency circuit. At the end of the quarter I receive a warning accusing me of missing an outrageous number of hours, which I had already disproved. I attempt presenting proof to my manager but he dismisses me and coerces me to sign the warning with the threat of losing my job. It is this time I realize nothing will be done about the safety incident so I report it to Osha. About two weeks later I receive very unusually covert e-mails from ethics to "discuss the concern I presented" without any context. This meeting turned out to be an interrogation accusing me of not communicating with my boss about my attendance, I stand firm, address I no longer feel safe at work, and ask what they are going to do about the situation. They say they will investigate. I have composed a full timeline and continue taking evidence. The incidents have been reported to OSHA and MDCR.

From what I understand, I will not be able to find an attorney due to the lack of damages from not losing my job. I have documentation from my therapist stating this has been a cause of emotional distress. My question is, when do I look for a lawyer, do I need a lawyer, and what do I need to do to prevent others from being treated like this from this employer?