Find a bus accident lawyer in Mesa: Valley Metro, school buses and your 180 days
For a Valley Metro bus in Mesa, file a notice of claim within 180 days by mailing or delivering it to Valley Metro Risk Management in Phoenix (101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300) or by email to [email protected]. Each person files a separate form. Report the injury to the driver or call (602) 253-5000. The lawsuit that follows must be filed within 1 year.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (31)
Who do I file against after a bus accident in Mesa?
It depends on which bus. Mesa provides public transit through an agreement with Valley Metro. Valley Metro is a brand name, not one legal body. Valley Metro Rail, Inc. runs light rail, and the Regional Public Transportation Authority administers buses. Use the same Valley Metro claim form and name the right one.
| What you were on or hit by | Who to contact | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Metro local or express bus | Valley Metro Risk Management | 180 days, then 1 year to sue |
| Mesa Downtown Buzz or Fiesta Buzz | We could not confirm who runs these. Ask Mesa Transit Services, and if in doubt notify both Valley Metro and the City Clerk | 180 days |
| Light rail in Mesa | Same office, naming Valley Metro Rail, Inc. | 180 days |
| Mesa Public Schools bus | Risk Management, 480-472-7205 or [email protected] | 180 days |
| City of Mesa vehicle | City Clerk, 20 E. Main St., Suite 150 | 180 days |
| Charter or tour bus | The private company and its insurer | Generally 2 years to sue |
We could not find a posted claim form or a named person at Mesa Public Schools. State law says the notice must reach the person authorized to accept service. Call Risk Management and ask who that is, and get the answer in writing.
How do I fill out a Valley Metro notice of claim in Mesa?
- Report it first. Tell the bus operator or any Valley Metro employee, or ring Customer Service at (602) 253-5000. On light rail, use the Alert VM app, security or the emergency call buttons.
- Get the form from Valley Metro's Notice of Claim page. Give all the information it asks for, or it will be rejected.
- State a dollar amount you would settle for, and the facts behind it. Arizona requires this.
- Send one form for each person hurt, including children.
- Include copies of medical bills. Valley Metro says that helps it process claims.
- Save a receipt or email record showing the day the notice arrived. Email to [email protected] or delivery to Suite 1300 are the listed routes.
- Mark 60 days on a calendar. Silence after that can be treated as a denial. Your 1-year limit to sue still applies.
What if my child was hurt on a school bus in Mesa?
Call the dispatch office for your child's route first, so the district knows and keeps its records. Broadway is (480) 472-6100, Fremont is (480) 472-8950 and Stapley is (480) 472-0160. Then write to Risk Management. Ask the district to save the bus video.
A minor gets 180 days from the 18th birthday to file. Even so, try to file within the first 180 days, because bus video and witness memories do not last. A parent's own claim for medical bills may not get that extra time. Ask a lawyer about that early.
Who pays for a bus crash in Mesa, and how much can they pay?
Arizona applies the normal standard here, which is reasonable care under all the circumstances. So you will need to show what the driver or agency did wrong. A hard stop that throws you down, a door that closes on you and a bus that pulls out too soon are the usual kinds of cases.
Punitive damages are not available against public agencies. The Arizona constitution forbids any cap on injury damages. Federal insurance floors of $5 million apply to certain private carriers with 16 or more seats, and transit service providers have different limits. If another driver caused the bus to crash, that driver's insurer may share the cost, and your share of the blame reduces what you get.
What evidence should I ask for after a Mesa bus crash?
- Your route number, bus number, direction and exact time.
- Names of riders who saw it. Transit agencies are public, and Arizona public records are open to inspection.
- The police report. Mesa Police reports go through BuyCrash at $2.60 for involved parties.
- After a fatal crash, federal rules require drug and alcohol tests of the transit employee as soon as possible.
- Your care records. Mesa's Level I trauma center is Banner Desert, at 1400 S. Dobson Rd.
Questions about local service can go to Mesa Transit Services at 480-644-2160. That office does not decide claims, so still send your notice to Valley Metro.
Questions
How long do I have to file a claim against Valley Metro in Mesa?
180 days, and a late claim is barred. After that, you have 1 year to file the lawsuit.
Where do I send a Valley Metro claim?
To Risk Management, 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300, Phoenix 85003, or [email protected].
Do my kids and I need separate claims?
Yes. Valley Metro requires a separate form for each person.
What happens if Valley Metro does not answer?
After 60 days you can assume the claim was denied. Talk to a lawyer before your 1-year limit runs out.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (31)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Valley Metro Attention: Risk Management 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300 Phoenix, AZ 85003”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “each person filing a claim against Valley Metro must fill out a separate notice of claim form”
- 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”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “is barred and no action may be maintained thereon”
- 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.”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “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.”
- City of Mesa, Public Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “Transit Services provides public transportation in Mesa through an agreement with Valley Metro.”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “Valley Metro is a brand name only. Valley Metro Rail, Inc. operates light rail service. The Regional Public Transportation Authority administers bus and rubber wheel services.”
- City of Mesa, Public Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “Local Bus Service - Express Service - Mesa Downtown Buzz - Mesa Fiesta Buzz - Metro Light Rail”
- City of Mesa, Public Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “480-644-2262 (after hours)”
- City of Mesa, Claim Form (updated 08/03/2026), checked 2026-11-08. “shall file the claim with the Mesa City Clerk within 180 days after the claim accrues.”
- Valley Metro, Rail System Fact Sheet, checked 2026-11-08. “The Valley Metro Rail system connects the region to the cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.”
- Mesa Public Schools, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-09. “Phone: 480-472-7205 [email protected]”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “Failure to do so will result in the rejection of your claim.”
- Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “you can facilitate the processing of your claim by including copies of medical bills and repair estimates of property damage”
- Mesa Public Schools, Transportation, checked 2026-11-09. “Broadway Dispatch (480) 472-6100”
- 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”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- Arizona Constitution, article 2, section 31, checked 2026-11-09. “No law shall be enacted in this state limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person”
- 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
- 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “Limits applicable to transit service providers”
- 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”
- 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.”
- Mesa Police, Criminal Justice Information Division, checked 2026-11-08. “Non-criminal accident reports are available online from February 24, 2009 to present.”
- Mesa Police, Criminal Justice Information Division, checked 2026-11-08. “Fees are $2.60 for involved parties if name on credit card matches a name on the accident report.”
- 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”
- Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”