You drive one of the hardest routes in America. Long shifts, dangerous intersections, passengers who don’t always make it easy — and the moment you get hurt doing that job, the CTA treats you like a liability. Their adjuster opens a file. Their doctor minimizes your injuries. Their lawyers get to work. If you need a CTA workers’ compensation lawyer in Chicago, Disparti Law Group has been on the other side of that fight for years and we’ve won 98% of the time. Call us first.
312-600-6000 — Free Consultation. No Fee Unless We Win.
We’ve Won 98% of CTA Worker’s Compensation Cases
Bus drivers make up the majority of our CTA workers’ comp caseload — and where our 98% success rate was built. We also represent train operators, mechanics, station agents, and maintenance crews, but if you drive a CTA bus and got hurt, you’re exactly who this practice was built for.
Larry Disparti grew up in a union family. His father was a union member. Fighting for workers — people who do hard, physical jobs and get treated like a problem when they get hurt — is personal to this firm. That’s not a slogan. It’s the reason we’re still doing this work. Learn more about Larry and the firm.
What Type of CTA Workers’ Compensation Claim Do You Have?
Bus accidents and collisions Rear-ended at a stop. Sideswiped changing lanes. Hit at an intersection by a driver who wasn’t paying attention. Chicago streets are dangerous, and CTA bus drivers absorb that risk every shift. When another driver caused the crash, you may have two separate claims — a workers’ comp claim against the CTA and a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. We pursue both.
Passenger assaults Attacks on bus drivers happen more than the public knows. Head injuries, broken bones, torn ligaments from physical confrontations mid-route — these are serious, fully compensable injuries under Illinois workers’ compensation law, and the CTA knows it.
Cumulative injuries from years on the road Chronic back pain. Shoulder problems. Knee deterioration. Years of driving Chicago routes in all weather conditions takes a toll that builds over time. The CTA will argue these injuries aren’t work-related. We’ve beaten that argument repeatedly.
PTSD after a traumatic incident Pedestrian strikes you couldn’t prevent. Violent attacks mid-route. Witnessing a death on the job. Bus drivers carry psychological weight that never shows up on an X-ray. These claims are hard to win — and we know how to build them.
Pre-existing condition denials The CTA’s first move on a lot of these cases. Illinois law is clear: if your job aggravated a prior condition, you are entitled to benefits. A denial on those grounds is not the end of your case — it’s the beginning of ours.
Slip and falls on CTA property Icy bus yards, wet garage floors, unsafe depot conditions. Injuries that happen off the bus but on the job are fully compensable too.
312-600-6000 — Talk to a CTA Bus Driver Workers’ Comp Lawyer Today.
Why Does the CTA Fight Workers’ Compensation Claims?
CTA bus driver cases carry significant exposure. Collision injuries, assault claims, PTSD, cumulative trauma — these aren’t small claims. The Chicago Transit Authority has a system built to limit payouts, and it starts the moment you report your injury.
Sedgwick manages your claim. The CTA uses Sedgwick as their third-party claims administrator. Their adjusters are experienced at reducing exposure — questioning your treatment, pushing back on your doctors, and finding any reason to cut or deny benefits.
They have dedicated defense attorneys. The CTA retains lawyers who do nothing but defend transit workers’ comp cases before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. Experience on the other side of that table matters. We have it.
Their doctor works for them, not you. When the CTA directs you to their physician, that doctor’s job is to minimize the company’s liability. We advise every client on their right to independent medical care before they sign or say anything that could damage their claim.
Illinois Worker’s Compensation
Illinois workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You don’t have to prove the CTA did anything wrong — only that you were hurt on the job. Your benefits may include:
- Full medical coverage — treatment, surgery, physical therapy, prescriptions
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD) — wage replacement while you can’t work
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) — compensation if you return at reduced pay
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) — for lasting impairment
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD) — if you can’t return to work
- Death benefits — for families of CTA bus drivers killed on the job
You have 45 days to report your injury to the CTA and three years from the injury date to file a claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. Don’t wait — the CTA’s team starts building their defense from day one. See our Illinois Workers’ Compensation overview for more on how the claims process works.
Larry Wins With CTA Bus Drivers
Fighting for workers — people who do hard, physical jobs and get treated like a problem when they get hurt — is personal to this firm. Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers is Chicago’s largest injury law firm, named one of the Most Influential Law Firms in America by Trial Lawyer Magazine, with over $2 billion recovered for clients. That firepower goes to work on every CTA bus driver case we take. This isn’t a firm that squeezes transit workers into a general intake form. Larry built Disparti Law Group for exactly this kind of fight.
312-600-6000 — Available 24/7. Se Habla Español. Larry Wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
The CTA says my injury is pre-existing. Is my case over? No. If driving that bus made a prior condition worse, Illinois law entitles you to benefits. This is their most common defense — and one we beat on a regular basis.
I was partly at fault. Does that affect my benefits? Not in workers’ comp. Illinois is a no-fault system. Your own negligence doesn’t reduce what you’re owed.
Another driver hit my bus. Can I sue them separately? Yes. A third-party personal injury lawsuit is separate from your workers’ comp claim and often results in significantly more compensation. We handle both.
Sedgwick cut off my benefits. What do I do? Call us immediately. Benefit terminations are frequently improper. A stoppage is not a final answer.
How long do I have to file? 45 days to report to the CTA. Three years from the injury date to file with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, or two years from your last benefit payment. Call before that clock runs out.
Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers represents CTA bus drivers and transit workers throughout Chicago and Cook County. 312-600-6000. Larry Wins.
