Cofman and Townsley sued for allegedly failing to timely file injury suit

A woman and man have filed suit against the law firm they claim failed to timely file a complaint on their behalf.

Robin Miller and Larry Prokopf filed suit June 6 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Cofman and Townsley L.L.P., Stuart Cofman, Sheldon Weinstein and Surmeier & Surmeier Inc.

According to the complaint, Miller hired the defendants to represent her in a lawsuit she filed against the Belleville School District. Miller filed her original lawsuit after she tripped and fell on a hole on a walking track owned by the Belleville Public School District on June 25, 2011, according to her new complaint.

She hoped to be compensated for her injuries, but that opportunity is now lost because the lawsuit was not filed in a timely manner, the suit states. Prokopf claims he also lost his opportunity to pursue a claim and incurred liability for medical costs.

Miller blames the defendants for failing to file a lawsuit against the school district within the applicable statute of limitations and concealed the fact they had not filed the suit in a timely fashion. The complaint also says the defendants did not tell Miller of their failure to file the lawsuit until about one year after the statute of limitation had expired.

Miller and Prokopf are seeking a judgment of more than $750,000, plus costs. They are being represented by J. Brian Manion of Weilmuenster Law Group in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 14-L-486.