Navigation Plaintiff Alleges Negligence Against Local Transit Authority Following Bus Collision
In a dramatic legal turn, a resident of Pinellas County has filed a lawsuit against the local transit authority, alleging negligence that led to significant personal injuries. Curtis Lee Rentz Jr. initiated this complaint in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, on February 24, 2025, targeting the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) as the defendant.
The case revolves around an incident that occurred on April 28, 2023. Rentz was a passenger on a PSTA-operated bus when it collided with another vehicle at 1st Avenue North and 11th Street North in St. Petersburg. The plaintiff claims that the bus driver operated and maintained the vehicle negligently, resulting in the collision. Rentz asserts that PSTA failed to uphold its duty to ensure passenger safety by not adequately training its employees and creating hazardous conditions for public transportation users. “Defendant breached its duty,” states the complaint, highlighting several alleged failures such as inadequate employee training and unsafe operational practices.
Rentz’s legal team argues that these oversights were not only negligent but foreseeable by PSTA, who should have been aware of the potential risks posed by their operations. As a result of this alleged negligence, Rentz claims to have suffered extensive physical injuries leading to pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent scarring, and financial losses due to medical expenses and loss of earning capacity.
