Passengers Hurt In CTA Yellow Line Crash Begin Filing Lawsuits

CHICAGO — Passengers injured in Thursday's CTA Yellow Line crash have begun filing lawsuits against the Chicago Transit Authority.

Shortly before 10:45 a.m., an inbound Skokie Swift train collided with a piece of rail equipment at the Howard Street switching station.

A total of 38 people were injured in the resulting crash and derailment, three critically, with 23 taken to area hospitals, fire officials said.

Cleon Hawkins, a 52-year-old Chicago man among those hospitalized for injuries suffered in the crash, was the first plaintiff to file suit. He was followed by 67-year-old Skokie architect Matt Jones.

“This type of crash was completely preventable,” said attorney Joseph Murphy, a partner at Clifford Law Firm who represents both men, in a statement.

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According to their complaints, CTA officials were negligent by allowing the equipment to remain on the tracks in an unsafe manner, failing to operate and maintain the rail system in a safe and reasonable way or by operating it in such a way as to cause the train to collide with the CTA equipment.

Jones, who was sitting in the front row of the front car at the time of the crash, told his attorneys that he was "bounced around like a pinball" from the force of the crash, leaving him with head injuries that required stitches, according to the firm.

Murphy described the crash an example of a "catastrophic failure" by CTA to deliver safe commuter transportation.

"The purpose of the CTA is to get people safely from one destination to another and here we find a commuter train loaded with passengers colliding at a high speed with its own equipment on a commuter track," Murphy said. "In this day and age, something like this should never happen."

The collision triggered a major emergency response, with at least 15 ambulances dispatched to the scene. A triage center was established to assess the condition of the passengers, some of whom were bleeding heavily.

Service on the Yellow Line remained suspended more than 24 hours later. CTA service on the Purple and Red lines has resumed.

The transit agency has yet to offer an official explanation for what it described as "an incident at Howard." Initially, CTA officials issued a statement suggesting Purple Line riders take the "#205 Golf/Bus route," which was discontinued in 2018.

National Transportation Safety Board representatives announced plans to hold a news conference Friday afternoon.

More details about the causes of the crash and measures to prevent future such events are expected to emerge as the NTSB investigation progresses.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement Tuesday that he had spoken to NTSB representatives about the crash.

"The State will continue to work with local first responders and assist in the investigation in any way we can," Pritzker said. "Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of everyone affected."

Earlier: Nearly 40 Injured In Train Crash, Derailment At Howard Street Station