Monica Conyers sues McDonald's following finger injury

Former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers is suing McDonald's for at least $25,000 after she claims she badly injured her finger while pulling on one of the restaurant's chairs.

The incident began on the afternoon of Jan. 1, when Conyers sat down to eat at a McDonald's in the Detroit Metro Airport, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court. She was on her way to an inaugural event for her husband, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, in Washington, D.C., her lawyer Amir Makled said.

Monica Conyers had already sat down, and tried to pull her chair closer to the table when she felt a "sharp pain" in her right ring finger -- and then she "screamed in pain, and jumped out of her seat," the lawsuit says.

Conyers then ran to the McDonald's counter when she "saw her blood-covered hand" -- the fingernail had fallen off, Makled said.

Police and paramedics arrived, gave Conyers some gauze and alcohol pads, and she was able to wrap her finger and make it to her flight. She claims she sought more medical attention when she landed in Washington.

But by the time it was all over, Conyers suffered "severe and permanent injuries; both internally and externally," and those injuries included "extreme pain and anguish," the lawsuit says.

"She's going to have a serious impairment of her hand," Makled said. "It's a rather serious injury. And McDonald's obviously has a duty to have safe conditions in their establishment. They obviously failed to inspect their furniture."

Conyers was released from federal prison in 2013 after she took a $6,000 payment as a city councilwoman in exchange for her vote on a contract for sludge disposal.

While the lawsuit demands that McDonald's pay $25,000 plus interest, costs and no-fault attorney fees, Makled said that amount was not yet determined and would likely be higher.

"Hopefully McDonald's will try to resolve it with us, and I think they will," Makled said.

Contact Daniel Bethencourt: dbethencourt@freepress.com