Fall on a CTA Bus? Here’s How These Cases Work.

Fall on a CTA Bus? Here's What You Need to Know To Get Your Bills Paid and Have A Good Case.

What we are doing is a Q&A.  So what is happening is people can submit me questions to calls@devdesalvolaw.wpenginepowered.com

If you had a fall on a CTA bus, then here is what you need to know. First, make sure you have witnesses to what happened. Second, be aware that CTA buses and trains are all video recorded, so make sure your memory is clear. Finally, if you were hurt, get to a doctor. Delays in medical treatment are the most common ways insurance companies deny injury cases.

In addition to answering your questions, I am using those questions to create YouTube videos in the hopes that this information helps other people as well.  My answer to her question can definitely help you if you fell on a CTA bus.

Today we are answering questions from Daniella who has fallen on a CTA bus.

The Question

Here is Daniella’s question:

Hi my name is Daniella, I fell on a CTA bus. It was raining and I got on the bus when the floor was wet. The driver pulled away really fast and I slipped and fell as I was sitting down.  My lower back is hurting, my right leg is swollen. The CTA bus driver was a jerk and the person at the CTA I spoke too early on was nice but now she won’t call me back. Do I have a case and do I need a lawyer?

The Answer

Thanks for the question Daniella. I am sorry to hear that you fell and were injured.

But I want to tell you, years ago it used to be pretty easy to settle a CTA fall. It used to be that the Chicago Transit attorneys and the organization itself was pretty reasonable about people who got hurt on the bus. But I would say for the past ten or fifteen years the climate over there has really changed.

CTA bus fall cases are very difficult these days. One thing you should know is that you should try to remember exactly how the fall occurred because all CTA buses are equipped with cameras now. Cameras are equipped at the front of the bus, the back of the bus and it even takes pictures of what is happening outside the bus.

So it takes me a little while to get that video from the CTA and I really can’t get it until we file a lawsuit. So I always encourage my clients to try to remember exactly how they fell and what caused them to fall because at some point there’s going to be a video of it. Sometimes the CTA plays games with the video. Such as if the video is good for us, they claim that they have lost the video. I’ve had that happen in several cases but we have to have those ducks in a row.

Importance of Witnesses

Another thing that is really important in the CTA fall cases is if you’re with somebody on the bus or where you get the phone number of somebody who sees you get injured on the bus. Having an independent witness or two or three witnesses really makes the difference in those claims. It’s easy for a jury in the CTA to discount what you are saying about how you fell but if we have a witness, it really helps us prove the case.

So the last thing I want to talk to you about is your mechanism of injury. In other words, you describe that you fell on the bus because it was wet and rainy, the bus pulled away quickly and you slipped and fell. Those are really tough case to recover on. I have been able to recover on a couple of them and made settlements on them but in front of a jury they’re very difficult.

Usually a successful CTA case includes the CTA bus driver losing control and running into something, or a car or a truck running into a CTA bus. Those are much easier cases to prove. Now, if that didn’t occur in your circumstance it doesn’t mean that we can’t recover in your case but I think its important for you and other people listening to understand that you really have a tough case.