Find a bus accident lawyer in Chandler: Valley Metro, Flex and school bus claims

Hurt on a Valley Metro bus in Chandler? A notice of claim is due within 180 days. Send it to Valley Metro Risk Management, 101 North 1st Avenue, Suite 1300, Phoenix, or [email protected]. If you hear nothing in 60 days, you can treat it as denied. A lawsuit must follow within 1 year.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)

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Road map of Chandler showing Arizona Avenue, Chandler Boulevard and the park-and-ride next to Tumbleweed Park, on the city's bus network
Valley Metro claims are due in 180 days. No reply in 60 means denied. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who runs the bus I was hurt on in Chandler?

The name on the side of the bus does not always tell you who to claim against. Eleven bus routes serve large parts of Chandler and link to Mesa, Tempe and light rail, and the system carries around 600,000 boardings a year. Valley Metro is a brand. The Regional Public Transportation Authority is the entity that administers bus and rubber wheel service.

ServiceWho runs itWhere the claim goes
Local and express busesOperated by Valley MetroValley Metro Risk Management, within 180 days
Paratransit or RideChoiceThe city contracts with Valley Metro for accessible transitValley Metro Risk Management; ask which company drove you
Chandler Flex vanThe city contracts with Via TransportationCity Clerk within 180 days, and also a claim to Via
Chandler Flex ride sent by WaymoWaymo, at the same $2 price when Flex is fullTreat it as a driverless car claim and keep the app record
School busYour school districtThe district, within 180 days

We could not find a published statement saying whether a claim for a Chandler Flex ride belongs with the city, with Via, or with both. Serve the city in time to be safe and ask Via about its insurer at 602-932-0291 or [email protected]. With more than 145,000 Flex trips so far, and around 29% to or from schools, parents should keep any ride record for a child.

How do I file a claim after a Valley Metro bus accident in Chandler?

  1. Tell the driver or a Valley Metro employee you are hurt, or call Customer Service at (602) 253-5000.
  2. Write down the route, bus number, direction and the time. Note other riders who saw it.
  3. Get medical care and keep your bills. You will need them to state your number.
  4. Fill out a claim form for each injured person.
  5. State a specific amount and the facts that support it.
  6. File by mail or email to Risk Management. Keep proof of the date.
  7. Mark 60 days on your calendar. Silence means you can treat it as denied. Then get ready to sue within 1 year.

What if my child was hurt on a school bus in Chandler?

Chandler is split among school districts. The city's own safety agreements name Chandler Unified, Kyrene and Mesa districts for public schools here. First find out which district ran that bus.

For Chandler Unified, general education buses are at 480-424-8619 and special needs buses are at 480-424-8620. The district office is at 1525 West Frye Road, 480-812-7000. Its Business Services department handles risk management. We could not find a posted claim form or claim address on the district's site, so call and ask who accepts service for a notice of claim.

A child may file within 180 days after turning 18. A parent's own claim, such as for medical bills, may not get that extra time, so do not wait on it.

Who pays for a bus accident in Chandler, and how much insurance is there?

A public bus is paid for through the agency or its insurer. Arizona public bodies are not liable for punitive damages. Your award also drops by your share of fault.

A private charter or tour bus works differently. Federal rules set minimums of $5,000,000 for buses seating 16 or more and $1,500,000 for 15 or fewer. Transit service providers can have different limits, so do not assume those numbers reach a Valley Metro claim. Arizona holds bus carriers to reasonable care under all the circumstances.

What proof should I ask for after a bus crash in Chandler?

Ask right away for the bus's video and the driver's records. Public records are open to inspection in Arizona, but you still need to ask, and some items can be held back. After a fatal crash, federal rules require transit drug and alcohol tests as soon as practicable.

If the crash happened on a Chandler street, the police report comes from Crashdocs, BuyCrash or Police Records. A freeway crash goes to DPS. Serious injuries are often taken to Dignity Health Chandler Regional, a state Level I trauma center at 1955 West Frye Road, and you can request those records in writing.

Questions

How long do I have to file a claim against Valley Metro?

180 days from when the claim arises. A lawsuit must follow within 1 year.

What if Valley Metro doesn't answer my claim?

If there is no response within 60 days of submitting it, you can assume it was denied.

Can I email my claim?

Valley Metro accepts claims at [email protected]. The City of Chandler does not accept email filing.

What if I was hit by a bus while walking or driving in Chandler?

You still have a claim against the transit agency, and the same 180-day notice applies.

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Sources (34)

  1. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  2. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Valley Metro Attention: Risk Management 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300 Phoenix, AZ 85003”
  3. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “If you do not receive a response to your claim within sixty (60) days of your submission, you can assume that the claim has been denied.”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  5. Valley Metro, Safety, checked 2026-11-08. “On buses, report issues to the operator or a Valley Metro employee, or contact Customer Service at (602) 253-5000”
  6. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “The claim shall also contain a specific amount for which the claim can be settled and the facts supporting that amount.”
  7. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “is barred and no action may be maintained thereon”
  8. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “There are 11 bus routes that serve a large portion of the city serving local trips and connecting to Mesa, Tempe, and the Valley Metro Light Rail.”
  9. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “The City of Chandler offers reliable bus service year-round with around 600,000 annual boardings. Our bus service is operated by Valley Metro and is part of the regional bus system.”
  10. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Please note, Valley Metro is a brand name only. Valley Metro Rail, Inc. operates light rail service.”
  11. City of Chandler, Title VI Plan for Transit Services, March 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “with Via Transportation for the Chandler Flex (microtransit) service”
  12. City of Chandler, Law Department, checked 2026-11-08. “you must serve a notice of claim on the Chandler City Clerk”
  13. City of Chandler, Chandler Flex, checked 2026-11-08. “you may receive a proposal to take a ride with Waymo, an autonomous vehicle service”
  14. City of Chandler, Chandler Flex, checked 2026-11-08. “Call us at 602-932-0291 or email us at [email protected]”
  15. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “Chandler Flex has provided more than 145,000 trips since its launch in July 2022 to over 5,000 people. Around 29% of all trips are to/from schools.”
  16. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “Agreements with the Chandler Unified, Kyrene and Mesa school districts provide school resource officers at all public high schools and middle schools in Chandler through June 2026.”
  17. Chandler Unified School District, checked 2026-11-09. “If your student rides a Special Needs bus, please call 480-424-8620 or email Dispatch ([email protected]) for call outs or questions. - For General Ed buses, please call 480-424-8619.”
  18. Chandler Unified School District, checked 2026-11-09. “1525 West Frye Road Chandler, AZ 85224 Phone: 480-812-7000”
  19. Chandler Unified School District, checked 2026-11-09. “transportation, purchasing, warehouse, food & nutrition, risk management and auditing functions of the district”
  20. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “a minor or an insane or incompetent person may file a claim within one hundred eighty days after the disability ceases”
  21. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-820.04, checked 2026-11-09. “Neither a public entity nor a public employee acting within the scope of his employment is liable for punitive or exemplary damages.”
  22. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  23. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
  24. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 15 passengers or less, including the driver 1,500,000”
  25. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “Limits applicable to transit service providers”
  26. Nunez v. Professional Transit Management of Tucson (Ariz. 2012), checked 2026-11-09. “We hold that the general negligence standard- reasonable care under all the circumstances - applies.”
  27. Arizona Revised Statutes 39-121, checked 2026-11-09. “Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.”
  28. 49 CFR 655.44, checked 2026-11-09. “As soon as practicable following an accident involving the loss of human life, an employer shall conduct drug and alcohol tests”
  29. Chandler Police, Request a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “The Chandler Police Department has partnered with crashdocs.org and BuyCrash.com to provide accident reports online.”
  30. Chandler Police, Request a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “7:00 am – 5:00 pm – Closed Holidays – 480-782-4001”
  31. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “maintains records for collisions (accidents) that were investigated by DPS Troopers occurring on an Interstate or State Highway”
  32. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224 07/01/25 07/01/28”
  33. Dignity Health Arizona, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “To request your records, complete an authorization for the release of health information form.”
  34. City of Chandler, Law Department, checked 2026-11-08. “Please note that emailing your claim does not constitute proper filing or service.”

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