A woman is suing C-Tran for head injuries she said she suffered when a C-Tran bus crashed into a bus shelter in downtown Vancouver in 2016.
Sarah Anderson filed her lawsuit Monday in Clark County Superior Court. The three-page lawsuit doesn’t seek a specific dollar amount but instead says damages will be determined during trial or through arbitration.
The lawsuit says the crash occurred on Oct. 6, 2016, when Sarah Anderson, a Clark County resident at the time, was waiting at a C-Tran shelter at East 12th Street and Broadway when a bus driven by Henry Reed crashed into the shelter.
According to the lawsuit, the impact of the crash caused a supporting pole for the shelter to strike Anderson’s head.
The lawsuit lists numerous medical problems it says Anderson experienced as a result of the crash, including a scalp contusion, post-concussion syndrome, traumatic brain injury, cognitive dysfunction, post-traumatic seizures, dizziness and memory loss.
It also seeks compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress, medical bills and expenses, and attorney fees and other legal costs.
The lawsuit says C-Tran is liable for Reed’s driving and faults the transit agency for failing to properly hire, train and supervise its drivers.
Christine Selk, C-Tran’s communication and public affairs manager, confirmed that Reed continues to work for C-Tran as a bus operator but declined to answer other questions.
“We don’t comment on open litigation, and I am not going to do that in this case,” Selk said. “I will say this is a standard tort claim.”
George McCoy, an attorney with the Portland law firm Warren Allen who specializes in personal injury law, represents Anderson in the lawsuit.
McCoy did not return a phone message seeking more details on the case.
