OAKLAND PARK, FL — A Broward County Transit bus is at the center of a new civil lawsuit that alleges an improper lane change on Interstate 95 in Oakland Park caused a crash that injured a Boca Raton driver, according to a complaint filed this week in Broward County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit, Elijah Starley v. Broward County and Progressive Direct Insurance Company, was filed July 17, 2026, and assigned case number CACE-26-011613 in the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County. Court records show the case was entered by the Broward County Clerk of Courts and assigned to Division 03. Starley is represented by Zachary M. Cohen of Cohen Injury Law, PLLC, in Fort Lauderdale.
According to the complaint, the crash happened on or about October 15, 2024, as Starley was driving a 2020 Kia Optima northbound on I-95 in Oakland Park. The filing alleges a 2022 Gillig transit bus owned by Broward County and operated by Katrina Daniels was traveling northbound in an adjacent lane at the same time and place.
The lawsuit alleges Daniels attempted to change lanes into the lane where Starley was traveling "without first ascertaining that the lane change could be made safely." The complaint claims she failed to keep the bus within a single lane and caused it to collide with Starley's car, pushing the vehicle into the roadway delineators. The complaint states Daniels was cited for violating a Florida statute governing improper lane changes.
The complaint identifies Daniels as an employee or agent of Broward County who was operating the bus for Broward County Mass Transit within the scope of her employment. On that basis, the lawsuit brings a single negligence count against the county under theories of vicarious liability, including Florida's dangerous instrumentality doctrine and the doctrine of respondeat superior. Those legal principles can hold a vehicle's owner or an employer responsible for a driver's alleged negligence. The filing does not name Daniels individually as a defendant.
A second count targets Progressive Direct Insurance Company, Starley's own auto insurer. The complaint says Starley was covered under a Progressive policy at the time of the crash and seeks underinsured motorist benefits under that policy. The lawsuit alleges Progressive "has refused, and continues to refuse" to honor Starley's request for what the filing calls fair payment under the policy's underinsured motorist provisions. Insurers are commonly named as defendants in this type of claim so they can defend against a policyholder's demand for coverage.
The complaint claims Starley suffered bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, lost earnings and medical expenses, and it describes the injuries as permanent and continuing. On each count, the lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus costs and post-judgment interest. Starley has demanded a jury trial.
Broward County owns and operates the county bus system, which makes it a frequent defendant in transit-related injury claims. The complaint says the plaintiff provided pre-suit notice to the county's Risk Management Division and to the Florida Department of Financial Services, a step required under state law before suing a government agency. The plaintiff's Boca Raton connection appears in insurance records attached to the complaint, which list a Boca Raton address for the policyholder household.
The filing reviewed by Boca Post does not include a response from Broward County or Progressive. As a newly filed complaint, the case remains in its earliest stage, and the allegations have not been tested or proven in court.
From HOA disputes and injury claims to business litigation and property-related cases, Boca Post covers selected civil filings through its Broward County Lawsuits section.
Your Side of the Story
Boca Post reports on civil filings, complaints, and public disputes based on official court records and public documents. A filing represents an allegation and does not constitute a finding of liability.
Individuals and businesses mentioned in coverage may submit a clearly labeled Sponsored Response to share their perspective. This is separate from our journalism and does not alter our reporting.
Factual errors are corrected free of charge.
