Reviewed by Adrianos Facchetti, Esq. California State Bar No. 243213. This page was reviewed for California personal injury accuracy, legal clarity, and usefulness for people injured in bus accidents in Santa Monica. Adrianos Facchetti’s California State Bar membership can be verified through the California State Bar attorney search.
Were You Injured in a Bus Accident in Santa Monica?
A Santa Monica bus accident attorney is best suited to figure out the actual driver of the bus, whether the bus was a Big Blue Bus, a LA Metro Bus, a privately owned bus, or any other, who could be held legally accountable, and the right course of action for filing a claim. That’s because a Big Blue Bus, an LA Metro Bus, and a privately owned bus can all have totally different insurance arrangements and claim processes, despite having an apparently similar accident.
Bus accidents occur frequently at Santa Monica’s most congested streets, such as Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, and Wilshire Boulevard, and even around the Santa Monica Pier area, where there is a constant flow of buses, pedestrians, and cyclists. A Santa Monica personal injury lawyer well versed in personal injury claims arising out of a private bus as well as a publicly owned bus accident would save you a lot of precious time.
Was it a Public Bus or a Private Bus?
This is one that influences practically everything about how your claim will go. You need to understand it to assume any of the steps.
Examples of public transit include:
- Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica
- LA Metro
- Transit vehicles from another city or government
Examples of private/ commercial bus include:
- Charters
- Tour
- Shuttles to hotels and airports
- Private transit companies
- Depending on who owns them and who operates them, some school or commercial buses
It is very important because you will have different defendants and different insurance, and claims against government agencies can have a notice requirement and much shorter statute of limitations compared to claims against a private company. For example, you might have to file a claim against California’s Government Claims Act before filing the lawsuit at all for some cases.
All Big Blue Bus claims do not necessarily follow the same process. The type of bus used, whether a private contractor is involved in the operation or maintenance of the bus, and the employment of the driver matter a lot when determining the correct procedure.
Santa Monica Bus Accident Liability: Who Could be Liable?
Liable parties will depend on who exactly caused the crash, and multiple parties could be held liable for their mistakes.
- The bus driver is responsible if he was reckless, made any turns, made sudden stops, got distracted, or simply committed another driving mistake while driving the bus
- The government agency providing public transportation services if the bus was provided by the government
- Private bus company if the bus was privately owned and provided by the company
- Charter company if the bus was used for a tour or an event
- Another company if the driver was employed somewhere else and not where the bus belonged
- Maintenance contractor if there were any issues with maintaining the bus in good conditions or because of a bus malfunction
- Bus manufacturer in a rare case when a bus was designed and/or manufactured defectively
- Components manufacturer in the case when a bus was damaged because of a certain defective part
- Another driver if some other driver caused or was partially responsible for the crash
- City or any other public entity only in a very limited case when the road was dangerous
Fault could depend on the driver’s actions, unsafe lane change, sudden stops, failure to yield, distraction, driver’s fatigue, poor maintenance, brake or any other mechanical failure, unsafe loading or unloading, or even some conflict with pedestrians or cyclists at the intersection.
Passengers do not have to be involved in a major bus crash to suffer injuries. Sudden braking, unexpected acceleration, and unsafe boarding and alighting are possible reasons for injuries too. If the bus hit a pedestrian, you should visit our pedestrian accident lawyer resource in Santa Monica. If the bus accident occurred because of another vehicle, you should visit our Santa Monica car accident lawyer resource.
Evidence That Can Dissipate Post-Bus Collision
The most crucial evidence in a bus collision claim has an especially fleeting life span, such as transit records and onboard video.
- Bus number
- Route number
- Information about the transit provider
- Name of driver, if known
- Location of collision
- Police report/incident report
- Pictures of the bus
- Pictures of other cars at the scene
- Pictures of injuries
- Witness contact information
- Surveillance footage from the nearby area
- Onboard video footage, if any
- Event/telematics data, if any
- Maintenance records
- Driver certification/qualification records
- Medical records
- Wage loss records
- Correspondence with insurance companies
Write down bus number, route, time, and location as soon as possible. These details could be incredibly helpful for confirming the right transit vehicle and keeping evidence. Transit or surveillance video records do not always last forever, which is one reason why prompt action is even more important in this situation than in a typical two-car collision.
What Compensation May Cover
Possible economic losses:
- Medical care and ambulance fees
- Hospital bills
- Subsequent treatment and rehabilitation therapy
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Decreased ability to earn money
- Damage to personal property
- Travel expenses
- Other documented out-of-pocket expenses
Possible non-economic losses:
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death damages, if applicable
The value of a bus accident claim depends on the injuries, medical evidence, fault, available coverage, the responsible party, and the long-term effects of the crash. If your case involves a fatality, our Santa Monica wrongful death lawyer resource explains how those claims work under California law.
Deadlines Can Be Different for Public Transit Cases
While personal injury claims in California involving a private party have one deadline, personal injury claims involving any public entity have another, which becomes important in the case of a bus accident more than almost any other type of accident.
In the case where there is a possibility that a city, the bus agency, or some other governmental body could be held liable, the California Government Claims Act could demand that an administrative claim be filed much faster than what would be required in a normal personal injury claim. Typically, California Government Code § 911.2 will dictate that some personal injury claims be presented within six months. Meanwhile, California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 will typically state a two-year limit for personal injury cases against a private party.
Other considerations may apply depending on the details of your case, but the deadline will depend completely on whether the public or private sector is involved and is responsible for the incident.
Get Help After a Santa Monica Bus Accident
If you were injured while riding a bus, struck by a bus, or involved in a collision with a transit vehicle in Santa Monica, the Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti can review what happened and help identify the correct claim process. A free case review costs nothing, and there’s no obligation to move forward.
There’s no upfront attorney fee, and no fee unless compensation is recovered for you. Whether your case involves the Big Blue Bus, LA Metro, or a private bus operator, we can help sort through the public versus private distinction, preserve evidence before it disappears, and address your medical bills, missed work, and the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.
During your free case review, we can:
- Identify who operated the bus
- Review how the accident happened
- Discuss which claim process may apply
- Identify evidence that should be preserved
- Review medical treatment and lost income
- Explain applicable deadlines
Santa Monica Bus Accident Claim FAQs
Can I file a claim following a Big Blue bus accident in Santa Monica?
It might be possible but will depend on the details of the case. As the Big Blue Bus is a city-run service, your claim could be subject to the Government Claims Act in California, which will impose a shorter deadline on filing than in a personal injury claim.
Can I file a lawsuit against a bus driver after an accident?
Depends on the specifics of the accident and who the driver is working for. Your claim may target the driver individually, the company he works for, or the bus itself depending on its owner and the circumstances of the accident.
What is the difference between a public and a private bus claim?
In a public bus claim, you will need to start with filing an administrative claim against a government agency prior to initiating a lawsuit, which must be done well within a much shorter period of time. A private bus claim follows the normal procedure.
What should I do after a bus accident in Santa Monica?
Seek immediate medical attention, contact the police, write down the name and route number of the bus, photograph the scene of the accident and your injuries, collect names and phone numbers of any witnesses, and avoid giving statements before knowing the claims procedure.
What evidence should I gather after a bus accident?
Number, route, and exact location of the bus, police report, photographs of the scene and your injuries, witness statements, any footage from security cameras or inside the bus. This type of evidence vanishes quickly, so don’t delay gathering it.
How much does a Santa Monica bus accident lawyer cost?
The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti charges a contingency fee. There will be no fees unless we obtain compensation for you.
How much compensation can I receive following a bus accident claim?
There is no maximum amount of money you may receive. It will depend on your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, liability, impact on your life, and whether there is a public agency involved.
How long do I have to file a bus accident claim in California?
It depends on who operated the bus. If it was a private company, then the deadline will usually be two years. In case of a government bus, you need to file a claim against a government agency within a much shorter period of time.
