TriMet was sued for $1.6 million by the family of Michael Brady, who was killed by a butcher knife stab wound aboard a MAX train near the 82nd Avenue transit station in March due to inadequate protection.
The Brady family’s lawyer, Michael Fuller of Underdog Law, told that the lawsuit is about more than simply money.
“The family is asking for two things. One, first and foremost, is compensation. They’ve lost their bread earner, a son has lost a father, a wife has lost a husband,” Fuller stated. “And second, they’re looking for changes in how these trains operate when it comes to safety.”
Around six o’clock in the evening on March 29, Brady was on his way home from work when he was stabbed as the eastbound train reached the 82nd Avenue Transit Station. According to court filings, police discovered 51-year-old Brady on the platform with apparent stab wounds to his belly, chest, and shoulder.
Shondel Larkin, 51, was taken into custody by authorities after they discovered him inside the train by himself, armed with a knife, and wearing what seemed to be blood-stained clothing, according to court documents.
According to investigators, Larkin, who was carrying what seemed to be a knife, was not provoked before repeatedly stabbing Brady, as evidenced by surveillance footage taken inside the train.
PPB stated that although Brady and the suspect were seated close to one another on the train, they had not communicated before the attack.
“I want people to know that my husband was a great human being, a loving father of a 6-year-old boy, and a loving husband,” Nora Brady stated in April. “Michael Brady was a wonderful person.”
TriMet is being held accountable by Brady’s family in their lawsuit, which was filed in Multnomah County on Tuesday.
“Had TriMet provided adequate security measures and personnel on the MAX train Michael Brady boarded on March 29, 2024, Michael Brady would have safely arrived at home to have dinner with his wife and son. Had TriMet warned the public and its passengers and Michael Brady of the known and foreseeable violence and physical assaults perpetrated by dangerous passengers on its MAX trains, Michael Brady would have taken alternate transportation to get home,” according to the one section of the lawsuit.
“Studies and experts tell us that by having guards, whether armed or not, will actually help deter violence, even violence from mentally ill individuals. So that’s the first thing is just more supervision, more monitoring in real time on these trains. If you simply cannot make these trains safe, then you at least need to warn the public that these are dangerous places and they need to act accordingly,” Fuller stated.
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The Brady Estate has requested a jury trial and is seeking a maximum of $1,660,400 in compensation.
Fuller stated that in order to ascertain whether TriMet leadership took all reasonable steps to avert Michael Brady’s death, he and his staff will speak with decision-makers.
“Our goal is always to use these cases, to not only compensate families for their loss but to make things safer for riders in the future,” he stated.
