What to Do After a Bus Accident
“Bus accident” can mean an injury while riding, boarding or exiting, or a collision with a bus from outside. The route, operator and your position matter. Seek appropriate care, keep a ticket or fare record and identify the vehicle and stop. A city transit agency, private charter and school service may have different record holders and procedures. California’s passenger-carrier duty should not be applied automatically to a person who was not a passenger.
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Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
Learn more about Raffi Naljian
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
A useful case review starts by identifying whether the bus was publicly operated, privately operated or contracted, and whether you were a passenger, pedestrian, cyclist or other driver. Ask who would preserve onboard video, dispatch and incident records, and whether government-claim steps may apply.
Consultation worksheet
Bus trip and operator worksheet
Use the actual trip or vehicle record to identify the bus. Keep the operator and agency questions open until verified.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
What route, fleet number, stop, direction and time were involved? Were you riding, boarding, exiting or outside?
Who operated the bus and who owns it? Is a public agency or contractor involved?
Who holds fare records, onboard/exterior video, dispatch logs and the incident report?
Does the operator identity change claim presentation or insurance steps, and who can verify that promptly?
Sources for this guide
- California Civil Code section 2100
Primary statutory duty for carriers of persons for reward, applied only after the passenger relationship and facts are established.
- California Public Utilities Commission: Transportation
Distinguishes CPUC oversight of private passenger carriers and transportation network companies from other operations.
- California Courts: Ask a government agency to pay you
Explains the administrative claim that may precede a lawsuit against a public agency, including distinct presentation and suit deadlines.
- California Department of Insurance: So You Have Had an Accident
Official accident and auto-claim guidance on safety, exchanging information, documenting a collision, and contacting an insurer.
What to Do Next
- 1Record the bus fleet number, operator name, route, direction, stop, time and your position in or outside the bus.
- 2Keep a ticket, fare-card or trip-app record and the incident number; identify the driver, dispatcher or transit agency that took your report.
- 3Note onboard and exterior cameras, other passengers or nearby businesses that may have recorded the event; seek preservation through the correct custodian.
- 4If a public transit agency may be involved, obtain individualized review of the government-claim process before relying on an ordinary lawsuit timeline.
Evidence Checklist
- Route, fleet number, stop, direction, boarding or exit location, ticket or fare record
- Agency or carrier incident number and the identity of the staff or contractor who received the report
- Passenger and witness contacts, camera locations, dispatch and vehicle records to request
- Scene, vehicle and injury photographs, treatment records and insurance correspondence
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Naming a bus manufacturer or painted brand as the operating legal entity without checking
- Assuming a public bus and a private charter have the same claim process
- Invoking the carrier’s passenger duty for a person outside the bus without checking the relationship
- Relying on a fare-card history to prove a particular unsafe movement by itself
How the Process Typically Works
Identify the trip
Record route, vehicle, stop and whether the injury occurred while riding, boarding, exiting or outside.
Locate the operator and records
Determine who holds onboard video, dispatch, maintenance and incident reports.
Check the correct claim process
Distinguish public-agency, private-carrier and other-driver issues before choosing a deadline or insurance path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every bus accident involve the same legal duty?
No. California Civil Code section 2100 addresses a carrier of persons for reward and passenger safety. The relationship and event must be established before applying it; a collision with a person outside the bus raises different questions.
Why identify whether the bus was public?
A public agency claim can require an administrative presentation before a lawsuit. California Courts explains that this procedure and its deadlines differ from an ordinary private-party case.
What if I no longer have a paper ticket?
Record the route, stop, time and payment method. A fare account or phone trip history may help locate the ride, but it does not prove how an incident occurred.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.