PITTSBURGH – A local man claims he was severely injured while riding a Pittsburgh city bus, when the bus came to a sudden and abrupt stop, and caused a rear-end accident with the vehicle in front of it.
Shawn Miller filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on July 12 versus Pittsburgh Regional Transit (formerly known as “Port Authority of Allegheny County”). Both parties are of Pittsburgh.
“On July 16, 2021, at approximately 1:20 p.m., plaintiff was aboard the defendant’s bus in the downtown Pittsburgh area, particularly on the 7th Street Bridge near its intersection with Fort Duquesne Boulevard. Plaintiff was sitting towards the front of the bus, immediately behind a plastic barrier that separated his seat from the bus’s stairs. At that time and place, plaintiff pulled down on the pull cord to signal to the driver he was requesting to get off at the next stop,” the suit says.
“Almost immediately thereafter, the driver of the bus suddenly and violently stopped the vehicle, rear-ending the vehicle in front of him. The impact of the collision threw plaintiff into the plastic barrier in front of him and caused him to sustain severe injuries. At all relevant times, the defendant was a common carrier and therefore must use the highest standard of care in the operation of its vehicles to safely transport its passengers.”
The suit adds that the plaintiff suffered multiple injuries, as a result of these events.
“As a direct and proximate result of defendant’s negligent conduct, plaintiff suffered the following injuries, some or all of which may be permanent: a) Severe pain in the back and groin; b) Back contusions and abrasions; c) Sprains and strains of the back; and d) Other injuries as the medical records might reveal,” the suit states.
“As a direct and proximate result of defendant’s negligent conduct, plaintiff sustained the following damages: a) His general health, strength and vitality have been greatly impaired; b) He has been, and will in the future be, unable to enjoy various pleasures of life that he previously enjoyed; c) He has endured, and will continue to endure, great pain, suffering, inconvenience, embarrassment, mental anguish and monetary expenditures for the care of his injuries, and emotional and psychological trauma; and d) He has been, and will be required to, expend large sums of money for medical treatment and care, medical supplies, rehabilitations and therapeutic treatment, medicines and other attendant services.”
For a lone count of negligence, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional limits of compulsory arbitration, together with court costs, interest and all other relief permitted by the Court.
The plaintiff is represented by G. Christopher Apessos of Apessos Law, in Pittsburgh.
The defendant has not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-008498
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com