The First Chamber of Private Law of the Court of Justice of Mato Grosso (TJMT) ruled that Pantanal Transportes Urbanos, the bus company operating in Cuiabá, must pay R$ 10,000 in compensation to a passenger who suffered injuries after being pinned and dragged by the bus in 2015. This verdict, delivered on Tuesday, underscores the accountability of transport companies towards passenger safety, and the necessity for stricter regulations in public transport services.

The incident occurred in October 2015 when the passenger attempted to board the vehicle and became trapped by the closing bus door, subsequently being dragged along as the bus began to pull away. During the incident, the bus driver reportedly insulted the passenger and blamed her for the accident. The passenger sustained multiple injuries that required medical attention, and she kept all medical receipts as evidence for the legal proceedings.

At the time of the incident, the company was undergoing a CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities) change, which had been dissolved in 2014 before the accident. The current ruling could potentially bring attention to the operational practices of transport companies in Brazil, prompting changes in how public safety measures are enforced in urban transportation, ensuring that incidents like this do not recur in the future.