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Resident says bus braking injured her; city attorney says video shows no negligence; council amends claims list
Summary
A Lincoln resident told council she suffered fractured ribs and a spinal fracture after a Jan. 2025 bus incident; the assistant city attorney said bus video showed no negligence and recommended denial, and the council voted unanimously to move two denied claims back to pending status for further review.
A Lincoln resident told the City Council on Feb. 2 that she was injured when a StarTran bus stopped suddenly at Gateway Mall last year, and the council later amended the city's list of denied claims to return two claims to pending status for further review.
Erica Brent identified herself and said she was injured on a StarTran bus on Feb. 1, 2025. She described pain and medical follow‑up, saying she received x‑rays and an MRI that led to a diagnosis she characterized as fractured ribs and an injury to the thoracic spine: "I received, injury to my, reform 5 ribs and, thoracic spine... Fracture," she said. Brent told council the bus driver "slammed on the brakes" and that she was thrown into an armrest.
Assistant City Attorney Nicholas Bussey told the council he reviewed the driver's incident report and the bus video. He said the video showed the driver operating at what he perceived to be a reasonable speed through a parking lot, that the driver applied the brakes for a hazard and was not distracted, and that he saw "no negligence on the part of the driver." Based on that review, Bussey said he recommended denial of Brent's claim.
Council debated the item on the claims report and a council member moved to amend the denied‑claims list by removing the claims of Zachary Colburn and Becky Barnes and returning them to pending status for further review. The motion and the main motion to accept the report passed by roll call (motions carried 7‑0).
The council did not accept or reject Brent's individual claim at the meeting; Bussey's recommendation was recorded in the record and the claims list was amended as described. Brent said she sought the council's attention to the incident and the city counsel described the administrative and legal pathway for claimants following a denial (including potential pursuit in district court).
