Your Trusted Chicago Bus Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in a bus or CTA accident in Chicago, whether as a passenger, a pedestrian, or in another vehicle, you deserve answers and fair compensation. You do not have to take on a transit agency and its insurer alone. Furqan Mohammed helps bus accident victims across Chicago hold negligent operators accountable, and moves quickly to protect the short deadlines these cases carry.
Understanding Your Right to Compensation After a Bus Accident
Buses and trains carry a special responsibility. As common carriers, transit operators owe their passengers a high duty of care. When a bus driver, the CTA, or another motorist causes a crash, you may be entitled to compensation. Deadlines matter, and they can be short: a personal injury claim against the Chicago Transit Authority must be filed within one year (70 ILCS 3605/41), far shorter than the usual two-year deadline that applies to most other claims (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
Common Causes of Bus and Transit Accidents
Bus and transit accidents happen for many reasons, and passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers all bear the risk. Common causes include:
Driver negligence
Improper stops and doors
Other motorists
Poor maintenance
Falls on board
Claims Against the CTA Have Strict Deadlines
If your accident involved the Chicago Transit Authority, special rules apply. Because the CTA is a public entity, you have only one year from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit (70 ILCS 3605/41), not the two years that applies to most injury claims. Missing this deadline can bar your claim entirely, so it is critical to act quickly and preserve evidence.
As a common carrier, a bus or transit operator is held to a high standard of care for its passengers. Illinois also follows modified comparative negligence: you can recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
Types of Compensation
Depending on the nature and severity of the crash, you may be entitled to compensation for a range of losses, including:
Medical expenses
Covers emergency care, hospitalization, therapy, and future medical needs
Lost income
Reimburses wages lost due to injury and diminished earning capacity
Property damage
Repairs or replaces your vehicle and other damaged property
Pain and suffering
Accounts for physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of normal life
Loss of consortium
Compensation for harm to spousal relationships
How Furqan Mohammed Can Help
A bus accident lawyer like Furqan Mohammed can move fast to protect your claim, including:
- Filing on time against the CTA or another public entity
- Preserving bus camera footage and maintenance records before they are lost
- Documenting your injuries and calculating your full losses
- Negotiating a fair settlement or taking your case to court
Transit agencies and their insurers know these claims have short deadlines and defend them hard. Furqan Mohammed acts quickly to preserve evidence and, if needed, files suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The firm serves bus accident victims across Chicago, with assistance available in Arabic and other languages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only one year from the date of the accident for a personal injury claim against the Chicago Transit Authority (70 ILCS 3605/41), which is shorter than the usual two-year deadline. It is important to act quickly.
Yes. As a passenger you are rarely at fault. Transit operators are common carriers held to a high duty of care, and you may recover from the operator, the CTA, or another at-fault driver.
You may still recover from the at-fault operator or the CTA, subject to the applicable deadlines and notice rules for public entities.
The one-year deadline applies to claims against the CTA and other public entities. Claims against a private bus or charter company generally follow the two-year deadline (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
You may still recover under Illinois's modified comparative negligence rule, as long as you were not more than 50% at fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
