CTA seemingly tries to deflect blame for O’Hare train accident

healyscanlonveugelergannon • April 8, 2014

The O’Hare Airport train accident remains a major story in the news, with new details and revelations emerging almost daily. The train’s operator did admit to dozing off just prior to the crash, but it seems clear that hers was not the only negligence responsible for the  train accident.

And initial report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that an emergency stopping mechanism was placed too close to the end of the track to effectively stop the train. The Chicago Transit Authority has since moved the placements these mechanisms (called trips) on other tracks.

The CTA also instituted new safety policies, including reducing the speed limit of incoming trains from 25 miles per hour to 15 mph. The agency is also proposing new rules that would limit train operators with less than a year of experience to working no more than 32 hours per week.

One of the first and most controversial moves that the CTA made in the wake of the crash, however, was to fire the 25-year-old operator who dozed off before the accident. The president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308 has argued that there was no reason to fire the woman right away, as she is on medical disability and would not be operating a train anyway.

Moreover, the union president said: “There were several things that didn’t work, and there was human error. But we’ve made a scapegoat out of one person and not anybody else or the procedures.’’ In other words, the CTA’s rash decision to fire the train operator seems to indicate that the agency will not take any responsibility for problems that led to the crash.

Thankfully, lawsuits that have been filed so far seek to hold the CTA liable. Negligence lawsuits have been filed by at least eight passengers so far. In all, approximately 32 passengers were hurt in the crash.

Motor vehicle and mass transit accidents nearly always contain some element of human error. But in this case as in others, human error alone may not provide a sufficient explanation of what went wrong.

Source:  Chicago Sun-Times, “Blue Line crash cost $9.1 million in damage, NTSB says,” Rosalind Rossi, April 7, 2014

$1,000,000.00 Verdict

April 13, 2026
Attorneys Michael P. Scanlon and Timothy J. Ganshirt secured a $1,000,000.00 Verdict for their client, Jane Doe. Jane Doe was sexually assaulted by her acupuncturist when she went to his office for treatment. Prior to trial, the Defendant did not make a settlement offer. At trial, the Defendant's attorneys argued that Plaintiff consented and recommended that the jury award a maximum of $7,000 to $8,000 to the Plaintiff, if the jury were to award anything. Instead, the jury returned a verdict for $1,000,000.00. Michael and Tim are filing a motion to add interest, fees, and costs to the verdict. If granted, thetotal judgment could reach up to $1,234,333.06.  This case highlights the importance of making sure that you choose attorneys who are willing to go to trial to ensure your case gets the full value it deserves.

$40 Million Settlement

March 25, 2026
Matthew M. Gannon and Michael P. Scanlon secured $40,000,000 for an operating engineer who suffered from third degree burns following a blast at an industrial facility.