CTA employee sues contractors over fall from lunchroom table

An employee of the city's transit system is suing two companies, claiming he fell because they failed to properly secure tables to the floor of the lunchroom following a construction project.

William Gubbins filed suit Dec. 30 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Kiewit Infrastructure Co. and Plata Corporation Inc.

According to the complaint, the defendants had contracted with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to rehabilitate, repair and remodel certain facilities, including the lunchroom in its 7801 S. South Vincennes Ave. facility, where Gubbins worked.

After a certain amount of work had been completed to the lunchroom, the suit states the defendants returned some of the tables they had previously removed by unbolting or securing them from the floor.

On Aug. 7, 2013, when he went to the lunchroom and sat down at a table with a fellow CTA, Gubbins claims he fell after the table lifted up off the floor and tipped over because the defendants failed to property secure or fasten the tables back to the floor.

Gubbins is seeking damages and is represented by Chicago attorney Thomas F. Bolkey of Beutel Hurst Boleky LLC.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.