Woman to receive $20M after being struck by CTA bus in 2019

CHICAGO - The CTA will pay $20 million to a woman who was hit and had her leg crushed by a city bus.

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

The 59-year-old was crossing the street at Ontario and Fairbanks when she was hit and dragged under the bus for 27 feet, her attorneys said.

She remained under the bus with her leg crushed for nearly 30 minutes until she was rescued by emergency crews who had to physically lift the bus off her.

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Schachner has undergone multiple surgeries and suffers from PTSD as a result of the accident, according to her attorneys.

"Diane’s life has been upended by this incident. While she has worked hard towards recovery, she will never regain anything close to her physical capabilities pre-injury," attorney Patrick A. Salvi said in a statement.

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.

Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.