Bus accidents — whether involving LA Metro, Glendale Beeline, school buses, or charter coaches — present unique legal challenges that set them apart from ordinary car accident claims. Buses are classified as common carriers under California law, held to the highest standard of care for passenger safety. Attorney Anand Desai has spent 20+ years navigating the complex procedural rules governing bus accident claims, including the strict six-month government claim deadline that applies to most public transit accidents.
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Bus accident cases involve layers of complexity that most personal injury attorneys rarely encounter: government entity claims with compressed deadlines, common carrier liability standards, multiple potentially responsible parties, and large institutional defendants with well-funded legal departments. Attorney Desai's background as a former LA County Public Defender — where he gained firsthand experience navigating government bureaucracies and institutional defense strategies — makes him uniquely qualified to handle these cases. His 50+ jury trials give our firm the credibility that public transit agencies and private bus companies take seriously during settlement negotiations.
• Deep Local Knowledge — Glendale is served by multiple public transit systems: the Glendale Beeline local bus service, LA Metro bus routes running through the city, and Metrolink commuter rail at the Glendale station. Attorney Desai understands the specific routes, intersections, and operational patterns where bus accidents most frequently occur — including the high-traffic corridors of Brand Blvd, Broadway, and Central Avenue where Beeline buses navigate alongside heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
• Multilingual Support — Public transit riders in Los Angeles represent the full diversity of the region. Our firm communicates in 11 languages: English, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Thai, Tagalog, Russian, Armenian, Farsi, and Korean. This ensures every bus accident victim can clearly communicate the details of their experience without language barriers.
• 24/7 Availability — Bus accidents can involve dozens of passengers and complex multi-party liability. Our team is available 24/7 to respond immediately, preserve evidence, identify witnesses, and — critically — begin the clock on the six-month government claim deadline that applies to most public bus accidents.
• No Win, No Fee — All bus accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. Your family pays nothing upfront, and we absorb all costs of investigation, expert witnesses, and litigation unless we recover compensation for you.
Call us or fill out the form. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and answer all your questions — at no cost.
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Under California law, buses that transport passengers for hire — including public transit buses, charter coaches, school buses, and private shuttles — are classified as "common carriers." California Civil Code §2100 imposes on common carriers the "utmost care and diligence" for passenger safety, a significantly higher standard than the ordinary negligence standard that applies to regular drivers. This means a bus operator must use the highest degree of care that a very cautious person would exercise under similar circumstances.
This elevated duty of care has profound implications for bus accident claims. Under the ordinary negligence standard, a driver must simply act as a "reasonable person" would. Under the common carrier standard, the bus operator must go beyond what is merely reasonable — they must exercise the utmost vigilance. This means bus companies must maintain rigorous driver training programs, conduct frequent vehicle inspections, enforce strict safety protocols for boarding and exiting, ensure buses are not overcrowded, and operate at speeds appropriate for conditions. A failure in any of these areas can establish breach of the common carrier duty. Attorney Desai leverages this heightened standard to build powerful liability arguments in every bus accident case.
The majority of bus accident cases in the Glendale area involve government-operated transit systems: LA Metro, the Glendale Beeline, LADOT DASH, and school district buses. Claims against these government entities are governed by the California Government Claims Act (Government Code §900 et seq.), which imposes procedural requirements that are dramatically different from private party claims — and far less forgiving.
The most critical difference is the claim filing deadline. Under Government Code §911.2, you must file a formal administrative tort claim with the responsible government agency within six months of the date of the accident. This is a hard deadline — miss it by even one day, and your claim is almost certainly barred forever. The claim must include specific information: the date, time, and location of the accident; a description of what happened; the nature and extent of your injuries; the names of government employees involved; and the amount of damages sought. You must file with the correct entity — Metro claims go to LACMTA, Beeline claims go to the City of Glendale, school bus claims go to the school district, and LADOT claims go to the City of Los Angeles. Our firm files administrative claims immediately upon being retained, ensuring this critical deadline is never missed.
Bus accidents take many forms, each presenting distinct liability issues. Sudden braking injuries are the most common — a bus driver slams the brakes and standing passengers or those not securely seated are thrown forward, causing head injuries, broken bones, and spinal damage. These cases turn on whether the driver had to brake for a legitimate reason or whether the braking was caused by the driver's own inattention or following too closely.
Collision accidents involve the bus striking another vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist — or being struck by another vehicle. On Glendale's busy surface streets, Metro and Beeline buses navigate alongside heavy traffic, making intersection collisions at Brand and Broadway, Central and Colorado, and Glenoaks and Pacific particularly common. Boarding and exiting accidents occur when a bus driver opens or closes doors prematurely, deploys a defective wheelchair ramp, fails to properly lower the bus at a stop, or pulls away before a passenger has safely exited. School bus accidents in the Glendale Unified School District area raise special concerns about child passenger safety and the obligation of other drivers to stop when the bus's red lights are flashing (Vehicle Code §22454). Charter and tour bus accidents — common with companies operating trips to Hollywood, Universal Studios, and other LA attractions — involve private carriers subject to both state and federal safety regulations.
Bus accident liability often extends well beyond the bus driver. The transit agency or bus company may be directly liable for negligent hiring (failing to adequately screen drivers), negligent training, negligent maintenance (allowing mechanical defects to persist), negligent supervision, and systemic safety failures. Under respondeat superior, the employer is vicariously liable for the driver's negligence committed within the scope of employment.
When a bus accident is caused by another driver — for example, a car that runs a red light and strikes the bus — that third-party driver bears primary liability. However, the bus company may also bear partial liability if the bus driver could have avoided the collision by exercising the "utmost care" required of common carriers. Bus manufacturers may be liable if a mechanical defect (brake failure, steering malfunction, door mechanism defect) contributed to the accident. Road maintenance entities — the City of Glendale, City of Los Angeles, LA County, or Caltrans — may be liable if a road defect caused or contributed to the crash. Our firm investigates every bus accident comprehensively to identify all responsible parties and all available insurance coverage, maximizing the total recovery for our clients.
School bus accidents involving children require special legal and procedural considerations. School buses are operated by public school districts or contracted private companies, and both are held to the common carrier standard of utmost care. When a school bus accident is caused by the bus driver's negligence or a vehicle defect, the school district may be liable under respondeat superior or direct negligence theories. When a third-party driver causes the accident — such as a motorist who illegally passes a stopped school bus — that driver bears primary liability.
Claims against public school districts follow the Government Claims Act's six-month filing deadline. The Glendale Unified School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Burbank Unified School District all require administrative claims be filed with the district within this compressed timeframe. For children injured in school bus accidents, parents or guardians must act quickly — the six-month clock does not stop running simply because the victim is a minor (though the lawsuit filing deadline after claim denial may be tolled). California Vehicle Code §22454 makes it a misdemeanor for other drivers to pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing and stop arm is extended, and violating this statute is strong evidence of negligence in any resulting accident. Our firm handles school bus claims for families throughout the Glendale and LA area with the urgency these cases demand.
Bus accident victims are entitled to the full range of damages available under California personal injury law. Economic damages include medical expenses (emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, medications, future medical treatment), lost wages and lost earning capacity, and out-of-pocket costs related to the injury. Non-economic damages include physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and any resulting disability or disfigurement. California imposes no cap on non-economic damages in bus accident personal injury cases.
Bus accidents that cause serious injuries — traumatic brain injuries from being thrown inside the bus, spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures — can result in substantial recoveries, particularly when the common carrier's heightened duty of care has been clearly breached. Government transit agencies typically carry significant insurance or are self-insured, and private charter companies are required to carry substantial liability coverage. In wrongful death bus accident cases, surviving family members can recover the decedent's lost future income, funeral expenses, and loss of companionship under CCP §377.60. Contact Anand Desai Law at (833) 270-7800 for a free consultation. We will evaluate your bus accident claim and explain your options at no cost. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Under the California Government Claims Act (Government Code §911.2), you must file an administrative tort claim with the government entity within six months of the bus accident. This applies to claims against LA Metro (LACMTA), Glendale Beeline (City of Glendale), LADOT (City of Los Angeles), and school district buses. The claim must include specific details about the accident, your injuries, and the damages sought. If the agency denies your claim or fails to respond within 45 days, you have six months from the denial to file a lawsuit. Missing the six-month administrative claim deadline almost always permanently bars your case.
Under California Civil Code §2100, buses that transport passengers for compensation are classified as common carriers, which means they owe passengers the "utmost care and diligence" — the highest standard of care in negligence law. This is significantly stricter than the ordinary care standard applied to regular drivers. Bus companies must use the highest degree of care that a very cautious person would exercise. This elevated standard makes it easier to prove the bus operator was negligent, as even a lapse that might not constitute ordinary negligence could breach the common carrier duty.
Yes. Sudden braking injuries are among the most common bus accident claims. Under the common carrier standard (Civil Code §2100), the bus operator must exercise the utmost care for passenger safety. If the driver braked suddenly due to inattention, following too closely, or failing to anticipate traffic conditions, this may constitute a breach of that duty. Even if the braking was necessary to avoid a collision caused by another driver, the bus company may still bear partial liability if the driver was not maintaining a safe following distance. Surveillance footage from onboard cameras is often critical evidence in these cases.
Report the accident to the bus driver and transit authority immediately. Ask for an incident report and the bus number, route, and driver name. Photograph the interior of the bus, the accident scene, and your injuries. Get contact information from other passengers and witnesses. Seek medical attention within 24 hours. Do not give recorded statements to any insurance company or transit authority representative. Then call Anand Desai Law at (833) 270-7800 immediately — the six-month government claim deadline means every day counts. We can begin building your case and file the required administrative claim right away.
Liability depends on how the accident occurred. If the school bus driver was negligent, the school district is typically liable under respondeat superior. If a contracted private bus company operated the bus, that company may also be liable. If another driver caused the accident — such as by illegally passing the stopped school bus in violation of Vehicle Code §22454 — that driver bears primary liability. The bus manufacturer may be liable if a mechanical defect contributed. Claims against public school districts require a government administrative claim within six months of the accident. Contact us immediately to protect your child's rights.
Absolutely. Pedestrians and cyclists struck by buses have strong claims under California law. The bus operator's common carrier duty of care (Civil Code §2100) extends to exercising utmost care around pedestrians and cyclists. California Vehicle Code §21950 requires drivers — including bus operators — to yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Government-operated buses are subject to the six-month administrative claim deadline under the Government Claims Act. Our firm has experience handling pedestrian-versus-bus cases throughout Glendale, where high bus traffic on Brand Blvd and Broadway creates elevated collision risk.
Private charter and tour bus companies are also common carriers subject to the highest standard of care under Civil Code §2100. Unlike government transit agencies, private bus companies do not require a six-month administrative claim — the standard two-year statute of limitations (CCP §335.1) applies. However, charter companies are regulated by both the California Public Utilities Commission and, if they operate interstate routes, federal FMCSA regulations. Violations of safety regulations — inadequate driver screening, overdue maintenance, hours-of-service violations — can establish negligence. Our firm obtains the company's safety records and DOT inspection history.
Compensation depends on the severity of your injuries, medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Bus accident injuries tend to be serious — passengers thrown inside buses sustain head injuries, spinal damage, and fractures. Government transit agencies carry substantial insurance or are self-insured, and private charter companies are required to carry significant liability coverage. California imposes no cap on non-economic damages in personal injury cases. Wrongful death claims can recover lost lifetime income, funeral costs, and loss of companionship. Contact us at (833) 270-7800 for a free evaluation. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Critical evidence includes onboard surveillance camera footage (most public transit buses have multiple cameras), the bus driver's personnel file and training records, the bus's maintenance and inspection history, route logs and GPS data showing speed and stops, the police or transit authority accident report, passenger manifests, witness statements from other passengers, and your medical records. For government buses, public records requests can obtain much of this data. Time is critical — surveillance footage may be overwritten within days or weeks. Contact an attorney immediately to preserve this evidence.
Strongly recommended. Claims against government transit agencies involve procedural requirements that do not apply to private party claims — most critically, the six-month administrative claim filing deadline under Government Code §911.2. Filing with the wrong agency, omitting required information, or missing the deadline by even one day can permanently destroy your claim. Government agencies also have dedicated legal departments experienced in defending these claims. Attorney Desai's experience navigating government claims throughout LA County ensures every procedural requirement is met and your claim is positioned for maximum recovery. Call (833) 270-7800.
Anand Desai is a dedicated personal injury attorney serving Glendale and the greater Los Angeles area. A graduate of Loyola Law School with an undergraduate degree from USC, Anand has been a member of the California State Bar (#249768) since 2007, bringing 20+ years of legal experience to every case he handles.
Anand specializes in personal injury law, with particular expertise in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury cases. His deep understanding of California personal injury law, combined with his tenacious negotiation skills, has helped him secure millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients.
What truly sets Anand apart is his commitment to his community. His firm is one of the only law offices in Glendale that offers services in 11 languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Hindi, Gujarati, Korean, Tagalog, Farsi, Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese, and English — reflecting the rich diversity of the communities he serves.
“I fight for every client like they’re family. When you hire me, you’re not just getting a lawyer — you’re getting someone who genuinely cares about your recovery and your future.”
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