Disabled Veteran Sues Over Injuries From Speed Bump Bike Crash

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — A disabled veteran says federal officials are responsible for injuries he suffered in a bicycle crash on the grounds of Lovell Federal Health Care Center.

Michael Cooper, 57, lost control of his bike and hit a curb after riding over a speed bump in July 2019, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week in Chicago.

The newly installed speed bump was not marked or painted and provided Cooper with no warning before he rode over it, according to the suit. His front tire was destroyed, and he suffered a broken left arm, a head injury and multiple cuts and bruises.

In the suit, attorney Patrick Condron alleged that Lovell and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were negligent by failing to provide warning of the speed bump.

"The failure of the United States, through the VA and the Lovell Center, to paint markings on, install warnings signs near, and give adequate warning of the presence of the speed hump was the proximate cause of Mr. Cooper's injuries," Condron said. "Cooper has incurred a minimum of $50,000 in damages for necessary medical treatment on account of his injuries."

Court records show Cooper's attorney first filed suit against the federal government in May 2020. But because of issues involving whether the suit was filed within the proper deadlines, the suit was dismissed last month with the opportunity for it to be refiled, which it was Tuesday.

In a Dec. 29 order, U.S. District Judge Michael Kennelly pointed out Cooper's attorneys "did not serve him well" and created unnecessary risks of untimeliness for their client.

"Cooper entrusted his potential claim to the attorneys he retained; they should have handled the matter in a more careful and prudent manner," Kennelly said.

Since October 2019, Cooper has been represented by Susan Loggans and Associates. A longtime Chicago area personal attorney, Loggans has represented numerous women who say R. Kelly sexually abused them and cut more than a dozen settlements and non-disclosure agreements between the R&B star and his accusers, according to reporter Jim DeRogatis, who described her firm as a "settlement factory" in a 2019 documentary.

Representatives of the law firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cooper lives at a home for disabled veterans at the Lovell center and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according Loggans. He continues to require physical therapy and "suffers a severe disability as a result of the dangerous condition of the speed bump," she said in a court filing last year.

A telephone conference on the case is set for Jan. 21.