11 People Injured In Chicago Bus Accident By 51st Street
Bus Accident - September 21, 2023
Eleven People Injured In CTA Bus Accident By The Intersection of 51st Street and Pulaski Road In Chicago
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (September 21, 2023) – Two people were seriously injured in a Chicago Transit Authority bus accident by 51st Street and Pulaski Road.
Cook County officials are saying that the accident took place around 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday. The CTA bus was traveling down the road when it suddenly hit a pole.
Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help all of the victims. Two people were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital with serious injuries.
One person sustained injuries described as fair and another 8 people were transported to the hospital in good condition. It remains unclear if any other vehicles were involved in the collision.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Chicago Transit Authority Bus Accidents
Thousands of people are seriously injured every year in accidents involving buses. According to The Journalist’s Resource, “on average, about 63,000 buses [of all kinds] are involved in an accident each year; about 14,000 result in an injured person, and 325 result in a fatal injury.” There are many steps that bus drivers should take in order to prevent collisions.
- Bus drivers should be well rested before heading out onto the road.
- Bus drivers should check their blind spots before making turns.
- Bus drivers should report any safety issues that they have with their bus.
Buses are considered “common carriers” and are held to strict safety standards set forth in the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/). Accordingly, they must operate their vehicles with the utmost caution in order to avoid collisions. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of any driver that leaves the roadway and collides with a fixed object.
The company or municipal entity that a bus driver worked for could also be liable for a collision. Employers are typically liable for the wrongful acts of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a bus driver may have been transporting passengers when they crashed. Victims of bus accidents tend to suffer very serious injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
Many victims of bus accidents may not realize the full extent of their injuries until some time after any accident. Even after a person’s physical injuries have healed, many accident victims are left with PTSD. Any person that is injured in a bus accident may be able to seek some measure of justice through a personal injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering.
Investigating Chicago Transit Authority Bus Accidents
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people injured in this CTA bus accident at 51st Street. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. This was a preventable collision that should not have taken place.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a CTA bus accident? You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Our team of bus accident attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support after a collision we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
