RIP ‘Chicago Mike’ Sumler

Few details were available about a May 2025 car crash that killed 71-year-old Michael Sumler, a Kool & the Gang backup singer.

“We’re deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Mike Sumler,” the band said in a statement. “Mike worked alongside Kool & the Gang from 2004-2015, making sure the guys looked their best onstage every night.”

“Everyone here at Kool & the Gang has fond memories of Mike and will miss him. May he rest in peace.”

“I had a local band out of Chicago called Power Pac,” Sumler recalled in 2018. “One of the Kool and the Gang security guys caught our act in the club in Chicago and we became friends, and he said, ‘Hey, you’d like to meet my group?’ And I said ‘Sure.’”

After starting out as a stylist-choreographer for the group, his future in the band seemed bright. “Once they saw that I could do some other things, they said we need to have you onstage,” he said.

Sumler, who was lovingly nicknamed “Chicago Mike,” died in a car crash in Cobb County, Georgia. The 33-year-old driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

Why Car Crashes Happen?

We don’t know why this car crash occurred, but driver error, which causes over 90 percent of car accidents, was almost certainly the cause. Driver errors include:

• Aggressive Driving: Speeding is the most common, and most dangerous, kind of aggressive driving. Excessive speed increases the risk of a wreck and the force in a collision. Other kinds of aggressive driving include running a red light and turning unsafely.
• Operator Impairment: Substance impairment (alcohol and/or drugs) is the most common kind of operator impairment. Alcohol and most other substances cloud judgment and delay reactions. Most substances also give most drivers a false sense of euphoria. Other kinds of operator impairment include extreme fatigue and a serious medical condition.

We also don’t know who was at fault for this crash, but it’s fair to speculate that each driver was partially responsible for this tragedy. For example, Driver A may have made an illegal U-turn and speeding Driver B may have collided with Driver A.

In some states, such comparative fault torpedoes liability claims. But California is a pure comparative fault state. Even if the victim was 99 percent responsible for the wreck, the victim still receives a proportionate share of compensation.

In an injury action, this compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

So, the takeaway is clear. If you’re involved in a car crash, always speak to Car Accident Injury Lawyers in California about your legal options. You don’t know how much money you may be entitled to, even if an insurance company investigator or emergency responder rules that you were at fault.

Wrongful Death Damages

In the wake of a wrongful death, family members understandably don’t think about legal actions. But facts are facts. These families need money, and they shouldn’t have to depend on government handouts or insurance payments.

Furthermore, people who substantially cause wrongful deaths should pay for the consequences of their mistakes. Otherwise, we pay for someone else’s mistake, in the form of higher taxes or insurance rates.

Compensation in a wrongful death claim usually includes money for pecuniary losses, such as funeral and burial expenses, compensation for the decedent’s pain and suffering, and money to pay the decedent’s final medical expenses. Wrongful Death Lawyers in Los Angeles can also obtain compensation for survivors’ grief and suffering, in some cases.

Reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer

Car crashes are devastating in many ways. For a free consultation with an experienced Personal Injury Attorney in California, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.

Credit: Photo by Midjourney