Austin Bus Accident Lawyer

What should I do after a bus accident in Austin?

Get medical care first. Even if you feel fine, head injuries and spine injuries often show up days later. Tell EMS or the ER about every body part that hurts.

Then preserve what you can:

• Photos of the bus, your injuries, the scene, and any street signs or stops
• The bus number, route number, and driver name if visible
• Names and numbers of every witness
• A copy of the crash report from APD or DPS

Do not give a recorded statement to CapMetro’s risk department or any insurance adjuster before you talk to a lawyer. They are not on your side.

Who is liable for a bus accident in Austin?

Liability for an Austin bus accident can fall on the bus driver, CapMetro, a school district, a charter or tour company, a maintenance contractor, a parts manufacturer, or another driver. Most bus cases involve more than one defendant.

• The bus driver for distracted driving, speeding, fatigue, or impairment
• CapMetro or Capital Metro Transportation Authority for negligent hiring, training, or maintenance of public buses
• Austin ISD or another school district for school bus crashes
• A charter or tour company like Greyhound, FlixBus, or a private operator
• A maintenance contractor for bad brake work or skipped inspections
• A bus or parts manufacturer if a defect caused the crash
• Another driver who hit the bus or forced an evasive maneuver

The investigation has to identify each defendant early because the rules for suing a government bus are not the same as the rules for suing a private company.

Can you sue CapMetro or a school district for a bus accident?

Yes, but the Texas Tort Claims Act limits how and when. You must give written notice to the governmental unit within six months under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, and recovery is capped.

Six-month notice. CapMetro’s own charter sets the same six-month window. Some cities require notice in as little as 45 days. No notice, no case.

Damage caps. The Tort Claims Act limits recovery against a municipality to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury. School districts have their own immunity rules under § 101.051 that limit liability to motor vehicle operation only.

Private charter buses do not have these protections. A claim against Greyhound or a tour operator runs under the standard two-year statute of limitations and there is no damage cap.

This is why getting a lawyer involved fast matters. The clock on your government notice starts the day of the crash.

What are the most common causes of bus accidents in Austin?

The most common causes of Austin bus accidents are driver distraction, fatigue, poor training, blind spot errors, speeding, brake failure, and negligence by other drivers on the road.

• Driver distraction, including phone use and on-board fare disputes
• Fatigue from long shifts or back-to-back charter routes
• Poor training, especially for new CDL drivers
• Failure to check blind spots when pulling away from a stop
• Speeding through downtown intersections
• Brake failure from skipped maintenance
• Other drivers cutting off buses in traffic
• Pedestrians and cyclists struck while a bus turns right

Driver logs, GPS data, dash cam footage, and maintenance records all live with the bus company. A preservation letter has to go out fast or that evidence disappears.

Where do most bus accidents happen in Austin?

Guadalupe Street is where Austin bus accidents happen most. The corridor running past UT campus carries the 801 MetroRapid, the 803, and Route 1, plus heavy pedestrian and cyclist traffic. Blind spots and tight curb stops make it a hot spot for right-hook crashes.

Other recurring crash zones include:

• South Congress between Riverside and Oltorf. Narrow lanes and frequent stops.
• East Cesar Chavez and Riverside Drive. High pedestrian crossings near the Lakeshore.
• North Lamar through Crestview and Rundberg. High-speed traffic mixing with bus stops.
• I-35 frontage roads. Charter and intercity buses merging into local traffic.
• School zones near AISD campuses. Austin High, LBJ, and Akins all see regular school bus incidents.

Injured riders and pedestrians often end up at Dell Seton Medical Center, the Level I trauma center next to UT. Civil claims against CapMetro and AISD are filed in Travis County District Court.

What are the most common bus accident injuries?

Common bus accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, whiplash, and wrongful death. Buses are heavy and most have no seatbelts, which makes injuries more severe.

• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
• Spinal cord injuries and herniated discs
• Broken ribs, arms, and legs
• Internal bleeding from blunt force
• Whiplash and soft tissue injuries
• Crush injuries to pedestrians and cyclists
• Wrongful death in high-speed or pedestrian impacts

What compensation can you recover from a bus accident claim?

Compensation in an Austin bus accident claim can include past and future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and out-of-pocket costs tied to the injury.

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Out-of-pocket costs tied to the injury

If the bus was a CapMetro or AISD vehicle, recovery is capped by the Tort Claims Act. If the bus was private, there is no cap and the full value of the claim is on the table.

What if I was partly at fault for the bus accident?

Under Texas modified comparative negligence, you can still recover as long as you are 50% or less at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame.

If a jury finds you 20% at fault, you collect 80% of your damages. Insurance adjusters use this rule to shift blame onto victims. A lawyer pushes back with the police report, witness statements, and video.

How long do I have to file a bus accident lawsuit in Texas?

The general statute of limitations for personal injury in Texas is two years from the date of the crash under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. But if a government bus is involved, the six-month notice requirement under § 101.101 controls.

Miss the notice and the two-year clock does not save you. The safest move is to call a lawyer within the first week.

Has Feltoon Law handled major Austin-area bus crashes?

Yes. Feltoon Law represented clients injured in the 2024 Hays CISD school bus crash near Buda, one of the most high-profile bus crashes in Central Texas in recent years.

A pre-K bus from Tom Green Elementary was returning from a Bastrop Zoo field trip on State Highway 21 when a concrete pump truck crossed the center line and struck the bus. The bus rolled. A vehicle behind the bus was also hit. Two people were killed and 51 were injured.

The case combined every difficulty a bus crash can present: a government defendant under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a commercial trucking company defendant, an impaired commercial driver with a criminal case running in parallel, and multiple injured plaintiffs with overlapping medical records.

For details on the Buda crash and the firm’s work on it, see our Hays CISD school bus accident page.

Why hire Feltoon Law for an Austin bus accident case?

Feltoon Law is a single-attorney firm where Jason Feltoon handles every case personally. No call center, no rotating case managers, no billboards. Every client gets his cell.

Bus cases are not theoretical for this firm. Feltoon Law has represented victims of the 2024 Hays CISD crash near Buda, one of the most high-profile bus crashes in Central Texas in years.

A solo attorney moves faster than a volume shop on the things that decide bus cases: government notice deadlines, preservation letters to CapMetro, depositions of transit drivers. Feltoon Law works on contingency. You pay no fees and no costs unless we recover money for you.

For broader claims involving a bus, see our main Austin car accident lawyer page.

How do I contact an Austin bus accident lawyer?

Call Feltoon Law at (512) 281-9100 or send a message through the contact form. The consultation is free.

The earlier you call, the more options you have. Government notice deadlines can run in months, not years.