Joseph T. Murphy, partner at Clifford Law Offices, filed the case on behalf of Matt Jones, 67, an architect from Skokie, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital following the crash that injured 37 others, some critically.

Jones was sitting in the first seat of the first row in the first car when the crash occurred, and he told his lawyers that he was “bounced around like a pinball.” He suffered many injuries including head injuries that required stitches.

It was reported that National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are on the scene and the tracks remain closed.

“This type of crash was completely preventable,” Murphy reiterated. “This is a catastrophic example of how the CTA failed to make commuter transportation safe for its innocent passengers. Were the backup safety stop measures in operation? Why was CTA equipment on the same tracks as a commuter train carrying passengers? These are all questions that our clients and the commuting public deserve, and these lawsuits will get to the bottom of it.”

Jones’ complaint was filed this morning in Cook County Circuit Court and alleges that the commuter train was operated negligently. The firm has filed numerous lawsuits in the past against the CTA for various injuries and deaths due to the CTA’s negligent conduct including one late yesterday on behalf of Cleon Hawkins who also was on yesterday’s CTA train and suffered injuries.

For further information or to speak to Joseph Murphy, contact Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

The post Clifford Law Offices Files Second Lawsuit Against CTA in Yellow Line Crash appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Joseph T. Murphy, partner at Clifford Law Offices, filed the case on behalf of Cleon Hawkins, 52, of Chicago, who was taken by ambulance to a local hospital following the crash that reportedly injured 37 others, some critically.

“This type of crash was completely preventable,” Murphy said. “This is an example of a catastrophic failure on the part of the CTA to make commuter transportation safe for its passengers who depend on it. 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.  In this day and age, something like this should never happen.”

The complaint was filed in Cook County Circuit Court and alleges that the commuter train was operated negligently. The firm has filed numerous lawsuits in the past against the CTA for various injuries and deaths due to the CTA’s negligent conduct.

For further information or to speak to Joseph Murphy, contact Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

The post Clifford Law Offices Files First Lawsuit Against the CTA in November 16 Crash on the Yellow Line appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The crash slashed open the side of the bus and its roof caved in when it struck the truck on an exit ramp to a rest area near Hamilton, Illinois. One of the truck drivers told reporters that he helped put out an ensuing fire on the bus then helped passengers out of the broken windows.

“Clifford Law Offices has handled a number of bus crashes over the years that resulted in tragic consequences, such as the one early this morning in downstate Illinois,” said Kevin P. Durkin, partner at Clifford Law Offices who obtained a verdict with Robert A. Clifford in downstate Madison County. “In bus crashes, it is important to seek the top experts to determine what occurred – that includes bus operational experts as well as bus mechanical experts and bus safety experts.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending a go-to team to the scene to investigate the cause of this tragic bus incident. Illinois State Police responded to the tragedy on an I-70 exit ramp to the Silver Lake rest stop in Madison County, about 25 miles east of St. Louis.

“Greyhound is a common carrier and, therefore, it owes the highest duty of care to its passengers,” Durkin continued. “There are rules and regulations in Illinois as well as federal laws that guide what bus companies and their drivers need to do to ensure that their passengers receive this highest duty of care. Much needs to be examined to get to the bottom of what happened here and why.”

The bus was traveling about 1:55 a.m. en route from Indianapolis, Indiana, to St. Louis, Missouri, when it crashed in downstate Madison County. It was reported that the bus was carrying about 30 people.

The post Greyhound Bus Accident in Downstate Illinois Kills Three and Injures at Least 14 Others appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Clifford Law Offices will be filing a lawsuit Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court in the death of seven-year-old Connor Kaczmarski who was killed in January when his school bus driver ran over him and then drove away.

CLIFFORD LAW OFFICES WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 2 P.M. THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2023, AT CLIFFORD LAW OFFICES, 120 N. LASALLE ST., 11th FLOOR. ZOOM INFORMATION TO WATCH THE CONFERENCE IS BELOW. ATTORNEYS WILL BE PRESENT AS WELL AS A FAMILY STATEMENT, PHOTOS, AND A DRONE VIDEO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE MEDIA.

Connor exited his school bus on January 20 after the second grader left Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163 at Mohawk Primary Center. The tragedy occurred in the 100 block of Walnut Street in the southern suburb. The complaint alleges the bus driver left him in the street as others called an ambulance while family members tried to help him in the street. He was taken to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital where he died.

Defendants include Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163, Kickert School Bus Line, and the driver Darryl Downs who was operating the vehicle without a proper school bus license as required by Illinois law, according to the complaint.

“In addition to having no driver’s license to operate a school bus, the driver failed to follow state law in ensuring that he not move his vehicle until his young passenger crossed in front of the bus at least 10 feet away. What was his hurry on that Friday afternoon instead of ensuring the safety of his little passenger?” said Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices.

Joseph T. Murphy, partner at the firm, added, “It is a horrific, tragic death of an innocent child that was avoidable had the defendants ensured that drivers were hired who know the rules and follow them. Young Connor should be here today, but instead, shortcuts and recklessness contributed to his senseless death.”

The bus driver apparently was the usual driver on the after-school route.

The school district issued a statement following the death that stated, in part, “He was a joy. He was a joy to all of his teachers, kind-hearted, smart, and funny; always a smile on his face. He will be missed greatly…”

The lawsuit was brought by Connor’s mother, Rockeal King, administrator of the estate, and his father, Frank Kaczmarski.

For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell)

**Photos, Complaint and Drone Footage are below the Zoom information**

The press conference also will be available to attend live via Zoom:

Meeting ID: 544 143 0731

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Meeting ID: 544 143 0731

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Meeting ID: 544 143 0731

Media

• Affidavit of Damages
• Complaint and Jury Demand
• Civil Action Cover Sheet

Drone Footage:

• https://youtu.be/ZZuWQW057_o  Note: Drone footage was not taken the day of the incident, it was shot January 30, 2023.

Photos:

High-Resolution Photos of Connor Kaczmarski:

• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Photo-of-Connor-Kaczmarski.jpeg
• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connor-Kaczmarski-scaled.jpeg 
• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connor-Kaczmarski-with-dog-scaled.jpeg
• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Connor-Kaczmarski-playing-with-airplane-scaled.jpeg

High-Resolution Photos Street Footage: 

• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-21-141732.png
• https://www.cliffordlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/westgate-drive-and-walnut-street.png

The post Clifford Law Offices Files Lawsuit Against School Bus Company, School District 163, and Bus Driver in Death of Student; Press Conference at 2 PM Thursday, Feb. 23 appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The ages and conditions of 13 people on the bus were unknown. The two occupants of the Mercedes reportedly were critically injured and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The bus that was heading west was pictured crashed into a pole.

CTA Route 66 buses and other traffic were being re-routed throughout the afternoon to avoid the crash scene. The incident occurred on Chicago Avenue just east of Peoria Street, according to media reports.

The Chicago Police Department Major Accidents Investigation Unit reportedly is investigating the crash.

The post At Least 15 People Hurt in CTA Crash on Chicago’s Near North Side appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Emergency crews were called to the scene about 3 a.m. and transported the injured to area hospitals. Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The injured are reported to be in stable condition.

The post Two O’Hare Shuttle Buses Collide, Injuring at Least Six People appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Cottage Grove Avenue and 71st Street about 6:30 a.m., according to the CTA. Twenty-one people reportedly were taken to area hospitals.

The cause of the crash is unknown and police are still investigating the occurrence. Buses were being rerouted till 8 a.m. while 71st Street was closed.

The post More Than Two Dozen People Injured in CTA Bus Crash appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The most recent tragic school bus accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has left the families of Woodmore Elementary School in shock, grieving for the loss of six young lives and more than a dozen others seriously injured. The nation mourns with them as shocking video and pictures of the crash are replayed on the news. The driver of the bus reportedly just received his commercial driver’s license in April. Reports state that he was involved in an accident earlier this year, and authorities are reporting that the bus driver was speeding during the tragic crash on a narrow road and flipped the bus on its side before striking a tree, nearly splitting the bus in half. The bus company, Durham School Services, is based in Warrenville, a suburb west of Chicago.

When a bus accident occurs, it affects those involved in many ways, particularly emotionally, psychologically and physically — perhaps for an entire lifetime for the families. Bus accident lawyers work with victims of school bus accidents to get answers to what happened and to try to achieve justice through the court system and to help find some sense of closure.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a school bus crash, there is a need to mourn, to grieve, to try to put your lives back together. It is also important to contact an experienced attorney so they can handle the legal issues while the families can handle their personal issues. It is important to do so as soon as the family is able so that important evidence can be gathered and discussions with the appropriate authorities can begin. Deadlines to file cases against bus companies are called statutes of limitations. They vary from state to state, and certain common carriers that are owned by governmental entities such as federal, state, county or city governments may have special notices that must be given before filing a lawsuit. These time periods can be very short, and this is why it is important to contact an experienced personal injury accident lawyer immediately following the event.

The post Experienced Bus Accident Attorneys appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

All 27 players and staff were taken to area hospitals and the coach of Griffith High School’s team were airlifted to Christ Advocate Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The team members appeared to stand strong amid the tragedy that witnesses described to the media as saying that it was a miracle that anyone survived. The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. Saturday (March 19, 2016) on I-65. The bus landed on the side of the roadway with part of its roof smashed in.

The Griffith High School community is praying for the team, and its players said that they hoped to still play the game against Marion High School that the Indiana High School Athletic Association said has been postponed and will be rescheduled.

The post Tragedy Strikes Northwest Indiana High School Basketball Team Bus on Way to State Tournament appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune newspapers also covered the story as did Associate Press and DNA, a local downtown media outlet.

In a story that appears in today’s Chicago Tribune by transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch, he states that there could have been as many as three passengers on this bus that initially was reported as being empty, click here to view.
Today lawyers at Clifford Law Offices indicated that they intend to file a protective order in court asking for the CTA to preserve all evidence, including the bus, so that it can be inspected by experts and to try to help determine the cause of the terrible tragedy.

The post Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Family of Woman Killed on CTA Bus; Media Coverage Includes New Information appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.