CHICAGO – A passenger has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Transit Authority and a bus driver, claiming that he fell and injured himself when the driver suddenly stopped the bus.
Plaintiff Odell Starling filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and CTA bus driver Lolita Gresham, citing allegations of negligence.
According to court documents, on November 27, 2022, Starling was a fare-paying passenger on a CTA bus driven by Gresham. Starling claims that while he was traveling, Gresham brought the bus to a stop suddenly and without warning, causing him to fall and injure himself.
The complaint asserts that CTA and Gresham, as common carriers, owed Starling the highest duty of care. The plaintiff claims that CTA and Gresham were negligent in several ways, including failing to brake and decelerate the bus in a smooth, predictable manner, failing to warn passengers of the upcoming sudden stop, and failing to ensure that passengers were safely seated or braced before the stop.
Starling claims to have suffered personal and pecuniary injuries as a result of the defendants' negligence. He is seeking judgment against the defendants in an amount greater than $50,000 for personal injuries, plus any other relief the court deems proper.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Kevin M. O'Brien of the Law Office of Kevin M. O'Brien in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2023L011891