Joseph T. Murphy
Joseph T. Murphy, partner at Clifford Law Offices who represents six people who were injured in the November 2023 CTA crash, said his clients are disturbed to find out that the train operator had alcohol in his system while operating the train.
“We are disturbed that the CTA did not release this critical information to the public the moment they knew that one of their conductors had alcohol in his system,” Murphy said. “You can’t have someone being responsible for hundreds if not thousands of passengers a day while operating a train with alcohol in their system. That certainly leads to human error.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report stating that the 47-year-old operator of the CTA train that crashed into a snowplow on November 16 of last year had a blood-alcohol level of 0.06 percent about an hour after the crash. Thirty-eight people were hurt in that incident. The federal limit is 0.02 percent.
“There are many questions regarding the reaction time of the train’s operator as well as his ability to stop the train that could have avoided these injuries,” Murphy said. “My clients are now experiencing heightened distrust of the CTA and a further lack of confidence in the safety of this transportation system due to this latest news.”
The investigation into the crash reportedly is ongoing.
For further information or to speak to Joseph Murphy, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).