Colorado Springs Bus Accident Lawyer

We handle claims involving every kind of bus on Colorado Springs roads, including:

• City transit buses run by Mountain Metropolitan Transit
• School buses from local school districts
• Charter and tour buses, including trips to Pikes Peak and the mountains
• Intercity buses such as Greyhound
• Airport, hotel, and casino shuttles
• Church, senior center, and military base shuttles

Bus crashes can hurt people inside the bus and outside it. You may have a claim if you were a passenger, the driver of another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a cyclist.

Buses are big, heavy, and slow to stop. Common causes of crashes include:

• Distracted, tired, or poorly trained drivers
• Speeding or taking turns too fast
• Wide right turns and blind spots
• Brake failure and poor maintenance
• Unsafe stops, pulling out without looking, or doors closing on riders
• Icy roads and winter weather on hills and mountain passes
• Other drivers cutting off or rear-ending a bus

Passengers can also be hurt with no crash at all. A sudden stop can throw a standing rider to the floor. A driver who pulls away too early can cause a fall at the curb.

Your health comes first. Then, if you can:

• Call 911 so police document the crash
• Get the bus number, route number, and driver’s name
• Take photos of the bus, the scene, and your injuries
• Get contact information for other passengers and witnesses
• See a doctor right away, even if you feel okay
• Keep your bus pass, ticket, or receipt
• Don’t sign anything or give a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer

Buses usually have cameras and data recorders. That footage can be erased if no one asks for it, so call us early and we’ll demand it.

Fault depends on who owns and runs the bus and what went wrong. Responsible parties can include:

• The bus driver
• The transit agency, school district, or bus company that employs the driver
• A private contractor that operates or maintains the bus
• The bus or parts manufacturer, if something failed
• Another driver who caused the crash

Companies that carry passengers for pay owe their riders a high level of care. That can make it easier to hold them responsible when a passenger is hurt.

How The Law Giant Builds Your Case

We send preservation letters for video and data, get the driver’s training and safety records, and review maintenance logs. When needed, we work with crash reconstruction experts to show exactly what happened.

Many Colorado Springs buses are public. Mountain Metropolitan Transit is a City of Colorado Springs department, and school buses belong to local school districts. Under the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, you can bring a claim when a public employee’s driving causes an injury (C.R.S. 24-10-106). But the rules are strict:

• 182-day notice. You must give the public entity written notice within 182 days of discovering your injury. Miss it and your claim can be barred (C.R.S. 24-10-109).
• Damage limits. For injuries in 2026, recovery is capped at $505,000 per person and $1,421,000 per crash (Colorado Secretary of State).
• Shorter lawsuit deadline. Lawsuits against public entities generally must be filed within two years (C.R.S. 13-80-102).

Day-to-day bus service is sometimes run by a private contractor. When that happens, there may be claims against both the public agency and the private company, each with its own rules and insurance. We sort that out for you.

Three Years for Most Bus Crash Claims

Injury claims that arise from the use or operation of a motor vehicle, including a bus, generally must be filed within three years in Colorado (C.R.S. 13-80-101). Claims against a public entity have the shorter deadlines above, and wrongful death claims generally have two years.

Colorado’s 50% Comparative Fault Rule

You can recover as long as you were less than 50% at fault. Your award is reduced by your share of the blame (C.R.S. 13-21-111). Most bus passengers carry no fault at all.

Limits on Pain and Suffering Damages

For claims against private companies arising on or after January 1, 2025, pain and suffering damages are capped at $1.5 million. Medical bills, lost wages, and damages for physical impairment or disfigurement are not capped (HB24-1472, C.R.S. 13-21-102.5).

Bus passengers often have no seat belt, so injuries can be serious. Common injuries include head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and neck and back injuries.

A full claim can include:

• Medical bills, now and in the future
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Wrongful death damages for families who lost a loved one

Talk to a lawyer right away if:

• The bus belonged to the city, a school, or another public agency
• You were badly hurt or missed work
• Your child was hurt on a school bus
• Several people were injured and will compete for the same insurance money
• The bus company or its insurer is already calling you

Government claims have very short notice deadlines, so waiting can cost you your case. The consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win. Call 719-779-0090 or contact us online.

The Law Giant has recovered more than $850 million for injury victims. We handle the notices, the insurance companies, and the investigation so you can focus on healing. Because we work on contingency, you pay nothing unless we win.

Bus companies and public agencies have lawyers on their side from day one. You deserve the same. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, and that is what gets insurers to pay fairly.

The Law Giant also handles car accident, truck accident, rideshare accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident, and wrongful death cases in Colorado Springs.