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Lawsuits and Claims Against the CTA

You've been injured at a CTA train station or bus stop. You only have one year to make a claim. What should you do next?

I slipped and fell while riding on the CTA bus. Can I sue the CTA?

Yes. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is a public entity whose mandate is to provide services as a common carrier to the general public. As such, the CTA is held to a high standard of safety in the eyes of the courts.

If you received serious injuries while a passenger of a CTA bus, you have the legal right to bring a Chicago slip and fall lawsuit against the CTA so long as your claim has merit.

However, if your cause of action occurred before June 1, 2009, and you were disabled or a minor, then your Chicago slip and fall lawsuit must be filed after a 6 month's written notice is given to the CTA.

The written 6 month notice is part of an old law which was devised to shelter the CTA from frivolous lawsuits.

Unfortunately, because the written notice law has strict compliance attached to it, numerous meritorious claims have been unduly dismissed and forever banned from being heard in civil court.

In response to the harshness of this strict compliance rule, Governor Quinn repealed the 6-month notice requirement for all claims against the CTA, effective June 1, 2009.

Although the removal of the 6-month notice will allow more cases against the CTA to be heard, under Illinois and Chicago personal injury law, your Chicago slip and fall lawsuit must still meet the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations for all claims against any municipality of the state of Illinois is within 1 year of the accident.

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have experience in bringing suit against public and government entities such as the CTA and are prepared to fight for your rights to fair compensation. For a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence contact us today - 312-263-1080