Insurance
Home›Insurance›Property Insurance›Connecticut appeals court affirms verdict in bus ramp…
Connecticut appeals court affirms verdict in bus ramp injury case
The Connecticut Appellate Court unanimously upheld a defense verdict after the trial judge found defense counsel's opening remarks were improper.
A wheelchair user lost his Connecticut bus ramp injury appeal after the state’s Appellate Court found defense counsel’s improper opening remarks did not deprive him of a fair trial, according to Insurance Business.
The plaintiff said that on September 24, 2020, he was exiting a bus operated by the Connecticut Transit District Consortium, doing business as Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority, when a wheelchair lift ramp began retracting before he had cleared it. He alleged the ramp’s upward motion sent his wheelchair backward, injuring his left hand, left shoulder, back, neck, abdominal region, and both hips, and the transit authority denied negligence while arguing any injuries were caused by the plaintiff’s own negligence.
Insurance Business reports that the case went to a two-day jury trial in November 2023, ending with a defense verdict. The dispute centered on opening statements, when defense counsel told jurors the plaintiff was born in Nigeria, was not a US citizen, and described alleged criminal history and insurance fraud connected to close to $5,000,000 in life insurance proceeds, as well as workers’ compensation fraud.
The trial judge sustained an objection to the remarks, and on September 22, 2026, the Appellate Court issued a unanimous decision affirming the jury verdict for Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority.