Man gets head injury on JUTC bus - Demands compensation from company

Lajan Style believes that he is lucky to be alive after he received a head injury last Tuesday while travelling on a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus.

"I took the 31 going home from downtown to Duhaney Park, and it drove Spanish Town route, and when we reach the Delacree area ... a hard object just lick mi. I couldn't tell you what it was. A my face it connect and drop outside. When mi get the lick mi drop pan the grung," he said.

He said he was later treated at Kingston Public Hospital.

Style believes that the bus being hit is connected to the recent brawl between the JUTC and taxi drivers.

"Fi tell you the truth, mi think it's a bullet lick me. When mi drop mi a seh, 'Lawd Jesus, don't mek this be a bullet'," he said.

Adding to his pain, Style told THE STAR that he is saddened by the reaction from the JUTC when he informed the entity of the attack.

Headaches

He said that he has had to take sick leave because of headaches that he has been experiencing since the injury.

He said that he would like compensation for both his injury and the continuous head trauma that he is experiencing.

"Mi have a prescription weh mi supposed to fill because of the headaches. As far as I can see, JUTC persons are very inconsiderate because I should have got contacted. I was the one who had to call them, and I believe that I need to be compensated for my injury. Even if I am not going to get compensation, they could have followed up, but they did not," he said.

While not able to speak directly to the incident, managing director for the JUTC, Paul Abrahams, said compensation was possible.

"Anytime anyone is injured on our bus, there will be a personal injury claim. So whether it is a stone-throwing or somebody fell down ... , there will have to be a personal injury claim," he said.

But he said that in order for someone to receive compensation, they would have to come in with the relevant documents to prove their case.

"They would have to come in and make the claim, investigations have to be done, our insurance company would be notified, and an accident investigator would have been assigned. And if it's found to be that [they are to be compensated], then sure. They just don't come in and get compensation like that," he said.