Santa Monica Bus Accident Lawyer

A bus crash in Santa Monica is rarely a normal car case. The bus may belong to the city, to another transit agency, or to a private charter company, and each one has its own claim rules and its own insurer. The wrong first step can cost you your case before you ever see a doctor. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. handles motor vehicle injury cases only, and Moe works directly with every client. If a Santa Monica bus hit your car, threw you from your seat, or struck you in a crosswalk, call (323) 716-1992. Video from the bus can be overwritten fast, and a public agency gives you just six months to file a written claim. The consultation is free, the line is open 24/7, and Se Habla Español. Moe will tell you which agency or company owns your claim and what he files first.

Big Blue Bus, Metro, or a private coach: who answers for your crash

Start with one question: whose bus was it? Big Blue Bus is the City of Santa Monica's own bus system, so a crash with one of its buses is a claim against the city itself. LA Metro also runs buses into Santa Monica, including Line 4 on Santa Monica Boulevard, Lines 20 and 720 on Wilshire, Line 33 on Venice Boulevard, and Line 134 from the Downtown Santa Monica Station to Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway. A crash with a Metro bus is a claim against Metro, not the city. A tour bus, charter coach, or hotel shuttle belongs to a private company with its own insurance carrier. That answer sets your deadline, your forms, and the people you deal with. It also changes what the other side must prove. Look for the number on the side or rear of the bus, the route sign, and the license plate, and take photos if you can. If you were a passenger, keep your fare card, ticket, or phone app record, because it proves you were on board. Most riders never learn who owned the bus, and insurers will not tell you. We track down the owner, the operator, and any outside contractor early, since a private maintenance company or a second driver can add another source of recovery. Do this before you give anyone a statement, because the way you describe the crash can follow you through the whole claim.

The six-month claim filed with the Santa Monica City Clerk

When a public agency owns the bus, California adds a step before any lawsuit. You must present a written claim within six months of the crash for personal injury, wrongful death, or damage to personal property (Gov. Code 911.2). In Santa Monica, the city's own claim form says claims go to the City Clerk, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, by mail or hand delivery, and not by fax. The same form has a section for claims against Big Blue Bus lines, so a city bus crash uses that form. Risk Management handles the claim at (310) 458-8374. The city then has 45 days to act, and silence counts as a rejection (Gov. Code 912.4). After a written rejection you usually have only six months to sue (Gov. Code 945.6). If you miss the first deadline, you can ask permission to file a late claim, but no later than one year after the crash (Gov. Code 911.4). Do not count on a court granting it. The claim must describe the date, place, and circumstances, plus your injuries. Moe prepares and files it for you, and he tracks the 45-day response window so nothing slips.

What a bus carrier owes its riders under California law

Anyone who offers to carry the public is a common carrier (Civil Code 2168), and the law holds a bus that carries riders for a fare to a higher standard than an ordinary driver. California Civil Code section 2100 requires a carrier of persons for reward to use the greatest care and diligence to carry riders safely. Section 2101 requires vehicles that are safe and fit for their use, and no amount of care excuses a failure there. That counts in cases with worn brakes, a faulty door, or a failed lift. The California Supreme Court applied the same duty to a public bus operator in Lopez v. Southern California Rapid Transit Dist. (1985) 40 Cal.3d 780. A public agency is also responsible for the acts of a driver working within the scope of the job (Gov. Code 815.2). Think of it this way: a sudden stop that throws a standing rider, a driver who runs a red light, and a bus that pulls from a stop into a cyclist are all measured against that duty. If you were hurt in a car or on foot instead, the carrier duty does not apply to you. Your claim is an ordinary negligence claim against the driver and the agency. A driver who hit your car, or a bus that clipped a cyclist, is judged by what a careful driver would have done.

Wilshire, Lincoln, Ocean Park, and where the city's own data points

The city data we reviewed does not break out bus crashes, and we will not invent a list. What the city does publish is still useful. Its Vision Zero program names Ocean Park Boulevard at Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard at 14th Street as priority intersections, based on 11 years of collision data from 2006 to 2018. It calls Wilshire Boulevard a top priority, and its Wilshire Safety Study says half of all fatal and severe crashes happen on only ten percent of the city's streets. The state's 2023 rankings put Santa Monica third of 103 comparable cities for pedestrian victims. Those numbers are not about buses alone, but they tell you where people on foot and in cars share space with large vehicles. If your crash happened near Downtown, Ocean Park, or North of Montana, a bus pulling out of a stop or turning across a crosswalk is a real risk on these streets. The E Line also ends at the Downtown Santa Monica station at 401 Colorado Avenue, where rail riders walk to and from Big Blue Bus and Metro bus stops. Tell us the stop, the cross street, and the time, and we will match them to the video request.

Bus video, driver records, and the Santa Monica police report

The strongest proof in a bus case is often held by the operator. Many transit buses carry cameras, and stored footage may not be kept for long. We send a preservation letter right away for exterior and interior video, the driver's work schedule and training file, maintenance and inspection records, and any data the bus records about speed and braking. A letter does not create evidence that was already erased, which is why early action matters. For the police side, the Santa Monica Police Department writes the report for a crash on city streets. You can request it through the city's Public Records Request Center, call the Records Unit at (310) 458-8431, or go in person to the Public Safety Facility. The city must say within 10 days whether the records exist. A fee may apply. If your crash was on the I-10, check which agency wrote the report, because the agency name on the report tells you where to ask. Also write down witnesses now. Other riders scatter at the next stop, and their names are hard to find later. If a bystander filmed the crash on a phone, ask them to send you the clip before they leave.

Care after a bus crash, the Santa Monica courthouse, and how Moe works

Bus injuries are often worse than riders expect. A hard stop or collision can cause neck and back injuries, shoulder tears, broken wrists from bracing, and head injuries that show up days later. Santa Monica has two hospitals close by: UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and Providence Saint John's Health Center. Go to either one or to your own doctor the same day, and keep every record. A gap in care is the first thing an adjuster points to. If a lawsuit becomes necessary, the Santa Monica Courthouse on Main Street is the local court, though you should confirm where your particular case is filed. Moe takes the calls himself, keeps you updated by call and text, and does not hand you off to a case manager. In one case his firm recovered $75,000 after an insurer offered $900. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. You pay nothing unless he wins. Moe also documents your lost work and tells you what to say to your own insurer, so you do not carry the claim alone.

Talk to a Santa Monica bus accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our bus accidents representation →

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