The Library

Who Is Liable for a Metro Bus Accident in Los Angeles?

Bus Accidents · By Payam Soliemanzadeh · September 22, 2026

Written and reviewed by Payam Soliemanzadeh, Founder and President — Updated September 22, 2026

Hurt on or by a Metro bus in Los Angeles? Suing a public agency has a hard six-month deadline. Here's who's liable and the step most people miss.

A crash involving an LA Metro bus on Wilshire or along the Harbor Freeway isn't an ordinary claim. Because Metro is a public agency, the rules — and the deadlines — are different, and one of them is far shorter than most people expect.

Who can be held responsible

Liability can rest with the bus operator (for unsafe driving), the transit agency that employs them, another motorist who caused the collision, or a maintenance contractor. When a public entity like Metro is involved, the agency itself is typically the defendant for its employee's negligence.

The six-month government-claim deadline

This is the trap. Before you can sue a public entity in California, you must file a formal administrative claim within six months of the crash under the Government Claims Act (Gov. Code § 911.2). Miss it and your case can be barred before the normal two-year deadline (CCP § 335.1) ever matters. If a dangerous roadway condition contributed, Gov. Code § 835 may also apply.

Passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers all have claims

You don't have to be a bus passenger to have a case — pedestrians, cyclists, and people in other vehicles struck by a bus can recover too. California's pure comparative negligence rule means even a partly-at-fault claimant still recovers, reduced by their share.

Evidence moves fast on transit cases

Metro buses carry multiple cameras and GPS/telematics, but agencies retain that footage on short cycles. A prompt preservation request is often what secures the video that proves what happened.

Local details for Los Angeles

County: Los Angeles County
Where a case is filed: A Los Angeles bus case is generally filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Central District (Stanley Mosk Courthouse).
Key deadline: Six months to file a government claim (Gov. Code § 911.2); the underlying injury deadline is generally 2 years (CCP § 335.1).

Metro bus incidents concentrate on high-traffic corridors like Wilshire Boulevard, Figueroa Street, and Olympic Boulevard, and near the 101, 110, and 10 freeways. Seriously injured people are often taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center. The six-month claim deadline makes early action essential.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to sue after a Metro bus crash?

You generally must file a government claim within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2) before you can sue — much shorter than the usual two-year deadline.

I was hit by a bus as a pedestrian — do I have a claim?

Yes. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers struck by a bus can pursue claims, subject to the same government-claim rules.

What evidence matters most?

The bus's onboard camera footage and GPS/telematics data — which agencies overwrite on short cycles, so preserving it quickly is critical.