Last updated
By Ron McMinn, Esq. | Official sources rechecked November 9, 2026.
Read this article in Español.
Los Angeles has more bus operators than most people realize, and the first question after a bus crash is whose bus it was. This page is an overview for riders, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers hurt in a bus crash in Los Angeles. Our LA Metro accident page covers Metro bus and rail claims in depth, and our article on who pays after a Metro bus crash in downtown Los Angeles covers the insurance side.
Whose bus was it?
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, known as Metro or LACMTA, is a public entity that runs bus and rail service across Los Angeles County.
Not every bus is Metro’s. LADOT runs DASH and Commuter Express buses for the City of Los Angeles; a claim over a City bus generally goes to the City (see our City of Los Angeles claim guide). Big Blue Bus is a City of Santa Monica department. In the San Gabriel Valley, see our Baldwin Park bus accident page on Foothill Transit.
The bus number, route, and paint scheme usually tell you the agency. Photos from the scene help. If you are not sure, a lawyer can find out before the deadline.
The six-month claim comes first
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.
Metro’s Legal Services page says to use its Claims for Damages form, available in English and Spanish, if you were injured or your personal property was damaged. It says completed forms are only accepted in person or by mail (USPS, FedEx, or UPS), and to allow two to three weeks for a response on next steps. Its listed contact is LACMTA, Legal Services, One Gateway Plaza, MS: PL4, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-922-7644, claims@metro.net. Our LA Metro bus claim guide walks through the claim step by step.
Our transit six-month claim deadline article explains why riders and drivers should not wait.
Bus passengers are owed the utmost care
Civil Code section 2100 says a carrier of persons for reward must use the utmost care and diligence for their safe carriage, must provide everything necessary for that purpose, and must exercise a reasonable degree of skill. That is a higher standard than ordinary care, but it does not make a carrier responsible for every injury. The question is still what the carrier did or failed to do.
Government Code section 815.2 makes a public entity liable for injury caused by an employee’s act or omission within the scope of employment, when the act would have given rise to a claim against the employee, unless the employee is immune. That is how a public transit agency can answer for a bus operator’s driving.
Who else may pay
Many bus crashes involve another driver. If a car hit the bus you were on, that driver and their insurer may be responsible, alongside or instead of the transit agency. See who pays a bus passenger when a car hits the bus. Riders hurt by a hard stop with no collision also have options; see injured by sudden bus braking with no crash.
Some public agencies contract out bus operations or maintenance, so the company running the bus may be a separate party. Do not assume who employed the driver. That is something to confirm early.
What to do in the first days
Get medical care and keep every record and bill. Write down the bus route, bus number, direction, stop, and time. Photograph the scene, your injuries, and any damage. Get names and phone numbers of witnesses and other passengers. Ask for the police report number.
Onboard and stop video can be overwritten, so a written request to preserve it should go out quickly. Be careful giving recorded statements to an insurer or claims administrator before you understand your rights.
How a bus accident lawyer helps
A bus accident lawyer identifies every public and private party that may be responsible, presents a timely government claim to each public entity, requests video and records, deals with insurers, and keeps track of the deadlines that follow a rejection. We do not promise outcomes, and no result in another case predicts yours.
After the claim
Under Government Code section 945.4, you generally cannot sue Metro 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.
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 Los Angeles 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
What does a Los Angeles bus accident lawyer do?
Identifies which agency ran the bus and every other party that may be responsible, presents a timely government claim to each public entity, requests video and records, deals with insurers, and tracks the deadlines after a rejection.
How do I file a claim against LA Metro?
Metro’s Legal Services page says to use its Claims for Damages form and that completed forms are only accepted in person or by mail. The contact listed is LACMTA, Legal Services, One Gateway Plaza, MS: PL4, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-922-7644, claims@metro.net.
Is every bus in Los Angeles an LA Metro bus?
No. LADOT runs DASH and Commuter Express for the City of Los Angeles, Big Blue Bus is a City of Santa Monica department, and other cities and agencies run their own buses. The right agency decides where the claim goes.
How long do I have after an LA bus accident?
If a public agency may be responsible, Government Code section 911.2 generally requires a written claim within six months for injury claims.
Do you have Spanish-speaking staff for LA bus accident cases?
Yes. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese. Call (562) 296-5380 for a free consultation.