By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Hurt in a bus accident?
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What to do after a bus crash in Washington
- Get medical care and keep every bill and record.
- Write down the route, bus number, direction of travel and time. King County asks for exactly those details on a Metro claim (King County).
- Get the police report. Our guide covers how to get a police report in Seattle, and how to get traffic camera footage in Seattle explains how to ask for video before it is lost.
- Get names and numbers of other riders and witnesses.
- Do not send medical records with a claim. King County and Sound Transit both say records will be requested during the investigation if needed.
Claims against Metro, Sound Transit, school districts and other public operators
Every “local governmental entity,” whether acting in a governmental or proprietary capacity, is liable for its own and its employees’ tortious conduct “to the same extent as if they were a private person or corporation.” Filing a claim within the time allowed is a condition before any lawsuit (RCW 4.96.010(1)). The term includes counties, cities and special districts, and any “municipal corporation” as defined in RCW 39.50.010 (RCW 4.96.010(2)), a definition that lists school districts, port districts, public transportation benefit areas and regional transit authorities (RCW 39.50.010).
| Bus operator | Where the claim goes | Before suing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| County, city, transit agency or school district | The agent the entity appoints to receive claims, on the standard tort claim form | Wait 60 days; the deadline is tolled during the wait | RCW 4.96.020 |
| A state agency | Office of Risk Management | Wait 60 days; the deadline is tolled during the wait | RCW 4.92.100; 4.92.110 |
| Private charter, tour or shuttle company | The company and its insurer | No claim filing step | RCW 4.16.080 |
The state is liable for its tortious conduct to the same extent as a private person or corporation (RCW 4.92.090). For a local entity, the claim must be presented within the period of limitations for the lawsuit, and suit can be filed only after 60 calendar days have passed (RCW 4.96.020(2), (4)).
The standard form asks for your name, date of birth and contact information, what happened and how, the injury, the time and place, the names of the people involved, the amount of damages claimed, and where you lived when the claim arose and when you present it. The amount you put on the form is not admissible at trial, and the statute says substantial compliance with its content and procedure rules is enough (RCW 4.96.020(3), (5)). A local entity may also offer its own claim form, and presenting either form satisfies the statute (RCW 4.96.020(3)(c), (e)). A claim is presented when it is delivered in person or received by mail by the entity’s designated agent (RCW 4.96.020(2)), so keep proof of delivery.
King County Metro. Claims go to the King County Office of Risk Management Services, and a Metro claim should include the route, bus number, direction of travel and time of day (King County claims page). In September 2026, a car reported stolen slammed into a Metro bus near Kent and several riders went to hospitals (our report on the Kent crash).
Sound Transit, which runs ST Express buses (Sound Transit), takes claims through its Risk Management Division online, by mail to 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104, or by email to claims@soundtransit.org, and offers a Spanish claim form (how to file a claim).
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The highest degree of care owed to bus riders
The Washington Supreme Court held in Benjamin v. City of Seattle, 74 Wn.2d 832, 447 P.2d 172 (1968), that “a bus system, as a common carrier of passengers, owes the highest degree of care toward its passengers commensurate with the practical operation of a coach.” A 73-year-old rider stepped down from a Seattle trolley coach that had stopped about a foot from the curb, fell and broke her femur. The court reinstated the jury’s verdict for her, holding that the jury could find negligence because the coach was not stopped close enough to the curb and the driver gave no warning or help (Benjamin opinion).
That standard applies to the bus operator. Other drivers who hit a bus owe ordinary care, and passengers can have claims against them too. In October 2026 an SUV crossed into the southbound lane of SR 109 near Hogans Corner in Grays Harbor County and hit a transit bus head-on; the bus driver and a passenger went to the hospital (our report).
School bus injuries in Washington
A school district is a municipal corporation (RCW 39.50.010), so a school bus claim follows the same local-government claim process and 60-day wait (RCW 4.96.020).
OSPI reports that about 340,000 Washington K-12 students rode the bus each day in the 2024-25 school year. Washington State Patrol data show 271 collisions involving school buses in 2024, and most were the fault of the other drivers. In a one-day 2025 survey, Washington bus drivers recorded 1,156 illegal passes of stopped school buses, and a driver who fails to stop when required faces a $500 fine (OSPI, Aug. 28, 2025). When another driver caused the crash, the claim may run against that driver’s insurance as well as the district.
Charter buses, airport shuttles and work buses
A private bus company is sued like any other business, with no claim filing step. A for-hire passenger carrier operating in interstate or foreign commerce must carry at least $5,000,000 in liability coverage for a vehicle seating 16 or more, including the driver, and $1,500,000 for 15 or fewer (49 C.F.R. § 387.33T; FMCSA). Its drivers may not drive more than 10 hours after 8 consecutive hours off duty, or after 15 hours on duty (49 C.F.R. § 395.5). Nationally, FMCSA reports that the number of buses involved in fatal crashes rose from 205 to 213 in 2022 (FMCSA, Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2022).
A shuttle run by a port district is a public operator, because port districts are municipal corporations under RCW 39.50.010, and the claim rules above apply. Farmworker and other work buses are a separate concern. In October 2026, a work bus carrying farmworkers allegedly failed to yield to a semi on SR 24 west of Othello, and at least 11 riders were hospitalized (our report). Workers hurt on an employer’s bus should ask early how workers’ compensation affects a claim.
Deadlines, fault and Washington crash numbers
- Three years to sue for injury to the person (RCW 4.16.080(2)). The 60-day claim wait does not shorten it, because the period is tolled (RCW 4.96.020(4)). For a death, see our page on the Washington wrongful death statute of limitations.
- Fault reduces, never bars. Contributory fault “diminishes proportionately the amount awarded” but “does not bar recovery” (RCW 4.22.005). See comparative fault in California, Texas and Washington.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports 659 traffic deaths in 2025 in preliminary data, 10.5% fewer than in 2024 and 18% fewer than the 809 in 2023 (WTSC).
Related pages
- California bus accident lawyer
- Texas bus accident lawyer
- Bus accident lawsuit: public and private buses
- Washington car accident lawyer and Washington pedestrian accident lawyer
- Washington brain injury lawyer and Washington wrongful death lawyer
- Seattle car accident lawyer and Seattle pedestrian accident lawyer
- Washington truck accident lawyer
Common questions
Can I sue King County Metro or Sound Transit?
Yes. First present a claim on the standard tort claim form to King County’s Office of Risk Management Services or to Sound Transit’s Risk Management Division, then wait 60 days before filing suit. Washington law makes local governments liable to the same extent as a private person or corporation.
How long do I have to file a bus accident lawsuit in Washington?
Generally three years under RCW 4.16.080(2). The claim must be presented within that period, and the 60-day wait after presenting it does not count against you.
Is there a cap on what a public bus agency pays?
RCW 4.96.010 makes a local government liable to the same extent as a private person or corporation and does not set a dollar cap. The amount depends on the injuries and the proof.
My child was hurt on a school bus. What do we do?
A school district is a local government for claim purposes. Present a claim to the district’s designated agent, wait 60 days, and file within three years. If another driver caused the crash, that driver’s insurer is also responsible.
What if I was partly at fault, for example standing in the aisle?
Washington reduces your award by your share of fault and never bars the claim. The bus operator still owes riders the highest degree of care commensurate with the practical operation of the bus.
How much insurance does a charter bus carry?
Interstate for-hire passenger carriers must carry at least $5 million for a bus seating 16 or more, including the driver, and $1.5 million for 15 or fewer.
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Sources
- RCW 4.96.010
- RCW 4.96.020
- RCW 39.50.010
- RCW 4.92.090
- RCW 4.92.100
- RCW 4.92.110
- RCW 4.16.080
- RCW 4.22.005
- Benjamin v. City of Seattle, 74 Wn.2d 832, 447 P.2d 172 (1968)
- King County Office of Risk Management Services, Filing claims
- Sound Transit, How to file a claim
- Sound Transit, Get to know us
- 49 C.F.R. § 387.33T
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.5
- FMCSA, Licensing and Insurance Requirements for For-Hire Motor Carriers of Passengers
- FMCSA, Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2022
- OSPI, Drivers: Know the Laws About School Bus Safety (Aug. 28, 2025)
- Washington Traffic Safety Commission, 2025 preliminary data (May 19, 2026)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.