$20 million settlement for woman hit, dragged by CTA bus in 2019

The Chicago Transit Authority has agreed to pay a $20 million settlement to a 59-year-old woman who was hit and dragged by a bus in Streeterville more than three years ago.

Diane Schachner’s lawsuit against the agency had been scheduled for trial in March until a settlement deal was reached last month. CTA board members voted to approve the massive payout Friday.

Schachner, who lives near Pittsburgh, was injured the morning of Aug. 2, 2019, while helping her daughter move into an apartment.

Schachner was crossing Fairbanks Court near Ontario Street when she was hit by a bus making a left turn, according to Patrick Salvi, an attorney for Schachner.

The woman was dragged underneath the bus for 27 feet and remained trapped underneath it for 30 minutes until rescue crews arrived, her attorneys said.

Schachner suffered a fractured ankle, among other injuries, and has since undergone more than a dozen surgeries. It forced her to give up her longtime job as a registered nurse, according to Salvi, who said her family is “very, very pleased with the settlement.”

“We think the amount reflects the very serious nature of her injuries and the fact that the bus driver should have seen her and yielded to her,” Salvi said.

CTA lawyers had initially argued Schachner was walking in the driver’s blind spot and that her pain would subside within months, according to Salvi.

In a statement, a CTA spokesperson said, “Based on the facts of this case and following mediation, CTA believes it is in the best interest of the agency to settle the lawsuit and has reached an agreement with the plaintiffs.”

Schachner will receive her payout within 45 days. Insurance will cover about $5 million of the settlement for the CTA.