Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources rechecked November 9, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
Omnitrans runs public bus service across the San Bernardino Valley. Because it is a public agency, an injury on an Omnitrans bus, at a stop, or in a crash with an Omnitrans bus usually requires a written government claim before any lawsuit. Our Omnitrans and RTA bus accident page covers liability. This guide covers the filing steps.
Who Omnitrans is
Omnitrans is a joint powers authority. Its June 4, 2025 board agenda lists members including the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, and Yucaipa, and the County of San Bernardino. A claim against Omnitrans is a claim against that agency, not against a member city.
The six-month deadline
Government Code section 911.2 says a claim for death or for injury to a person or to personal property must be presented no later than six months after the cause of action accrues. Most other claims get one year. Accrual is a legal question, so do not guess at the start date.
Our transit six-month claim deadline article explains why bus riders and drivers should not wait.
Where to send the claim
Omnitrans’ Contact Us page lists its headquarters at 1700 W. Fifth Street, San Bernardino, CA 92411, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and closed weekends and holidays. It lists a West Valley mailing address at 4748 Arrow Highway, Montclair, CA 91763, and bus information at (800) 966-6428 or (909) 379-7100. We did not find a dedicated claims form or claims portal on its public site.
Government Code section 915 says a claim to a local public entity may be delivered to its clerk, secretary, or auditor, or mailed to the clerk, secretary, auditor, or governing body at its principal office. Omnitrans’ board agendas direct written comments to the Board Secretary at 1700 West Fifth Street and list the Board Secretary’s phone as 909-379-7110. One approach consistent with section 915 is to address the claim to Omnitrans, Attention: Board Secretary, at the headquarters address. Call first to confirm, and keep proof of mailing or a date-stamped copy.
The online compliment, complaint, or suggestion form is not a government claim. Use it if you want, but do not rely on it to protect your deadline.
What the claim should include
Government Code section 910 lists the required contents: the claimant’s name and address, the address for notices, the date, place, and other circumstances of the incident, a general description of the injury or loss, the name of the public employee who caused it if known, and the amount claimed or, for claims over $10,000, whether it would be a limited civil case.
Useful details: route number, bus number if you saw it, direction of travel, stop location, time, and names of witnesses. Ask nearby businesses to preserve video. Keep medical records and bills.
After you file
Under Government Code section 945.4, you generally cannot sue Omnitrans for money damages until a required claim has been presented and acted on, or deemed rejected. Section 912.4 generally gives the public entity 45 days to act. If it does not act, the claim is deemed rejected on the last day of that period.
After written notice of rejection, Government Code section 945.6 generally gives you six months from the date the notice is personally delivered or mailed to file suit. If no written notice is given, a two-year period from accrual can apply instead.
Missed the six-month window? Government Code section 911.4 allows a written application for leave to present a late claim within a reasonable time, not more than one year after accrual, with the proposed claim attached. Relief is not automatic. See our guide on a missed six-month government claim deadline.
Hurt on a different system? See our guides for OCTA, MTS, and LA Metro.
Talk to us
If you were hurt in California and a city, county, transit agency, or the State may be involved, Win Attorneys handles government claims and personal injury matters statewide from our Tustin office. See our Inland Empire page. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (562) 296-5380, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.
Frequently asked questions
Does Omnitrans have its own claim form?
We did not find a dedicated claim form or claims portal on Omnitrans’ public website. A written claim that meets Government Code section 910 can still be presented under section 915. Call Omnitrans to ask whether it has a preferred form before you file.
Where do I send a claim against Omnitrans?
Government Code section 915 allows delivering a claim to a local public entity’s clerk, secretary, or auditor, or mailing it to them or to the governing body at its principal office. Omnitrans lists its headquarters at 1700 W. Fifth Street, San Bernardino, CA 92411, and its board agendas refer to a Board Secretary at that address.
Is an Omnitrans customer complaint the same as a claim?
No. The online compliment, complaint, or suggestion form is customer feedback. A government claim is a written presentation under the Government Claims Act and has its own required contents and deadlines.
How long do I have after an Omnitrans bus injury?
Government Code section 911.2 requires claims for death or injury to a person or personal property to be presented no later than six months after accrual. Most other claims have one year.
What if Omnitrans does not answer my claim?
Government Code section 912.4 generally gives a public entity 45 days to act. If it does not, the claim is deemed rejected, and section 945.6 then sets the time to sue, which is two years from accrual if no written rejection notice is given.