Find a bus accident lawyer in Dallas: DART, Dallas ISD and charter bus claims

DART is a governmental unit under Texas law, so a claim for a DART bus injury generally needs written notice within six months. Email does not count as legal notice to DART. Mail it to DART's address on record and keep proof it arrived. You generally have 2 years to sue.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)

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Road map of Dallas showing downtown and the surrounding DART bus service area
DART says email does not count as legal notice of a claim. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Whose bus hit me in Dallas, and who pays?

BusWho it answers toNoticeLimits
DART busDART, a Chapter 452 authoritySix months, in writingTexas caps local government units at $100,000 per person
GoLink or paratransit vanDART, and often a contractor. A contractor doing DART's job is liable only as far as DART would beTreat it as six monthsAsk who employed the driver
Dallas StreetcarDART lists it as owned by the City of DallasSix months under the city charterTexas caps cities at $250,000 per person
Dallas ISD school busDallas Independent School DistrictSix monthsLocal government cap
Charter or tour busA private companyNo government noticeFederal floor of $5,000,000 for 16 or more seats on for-hire trips

DART serves 12 cities, from Plano and Garland to Irving and University Park. It counted 28.6 million bus rides in fiscal 2025, plus 2.1 million GoLink rides. So a bus crash outside Dallas can still lead back to DART.

How do I give DART notice of an injury claim in Dallas?

We could not find a published DART claim form or a named claims office. So build your own notice. Texas law says it must describe the injury, the time and place, and what happened.

  1. Write down the route number, bus number, date, time and stop.
  2. Describe your injuries and how the crash happened.
  3. Mail the letter to DART, P.O. Box 660163, Dallas 75266-0163, certified with return receipt.
  4. Hand-deliver a copy to DART headquarters at 1401 Pacific Ave., 75202, and ask for a stamped copy.
  5. Do not rely on email or the website. DART says email does not count as legal notice.
  6. Call 214-749-3333 to log a concern if you want, but do not treat that call as your notice.

Texas excuses formal notice if the government actually knew about the injury. Do not count on that. Write the letter.

Who investigates a DART bus crash in Dallas?

Often DART's own police. DART Police investigated 427 crashes in 2025. Their headquarters is at 2111 S. Corinth St. Rd., 75203, and the non-emergency number is 214-749-5900. A DART Police crash report costs $6, or $8 certified, by check or money order payable to DART.

If Dallas Police took the crash, buy the report from DPD for $6. Ask for bus video as soon as you can. Transit operators must drug and alcohol test the driver after a fatal crash, as soon as they can. Your first step is asking in writing that the footage be saved.

What did the Dallas bus driver owe me as a passenger?

A lot. Texas holds common carriers to a high standard of care. Falls from sudden stops and doors that close on a rider can count.

Still, a claim against DART has to fit the Tort Claims Act, which waives immunity for the operation or use of a motor vehicle. If you were hurt in a shelter or at a stop and no bus was moving, your claim may be harder.

Punitive damages are not available against a government under this act. Texas shared fault rules still apply. More than 50 percent of the blame ends the claim.

What if a Dallas ISD school bus was involved?

Texas lets people bring these claims against school districts only for motor vehicles. Dallas ISD has an online intake form for people in a crash with a district vehicle, and says Risk Management will contact you within 24 hours or the next business day.

Its bus crash sheet tells private drivers to contact Risk Management 24 hours after the accident. The office is at 9400 N. Central Expressway, Box 91, 75231, (972) 925-4050.

If your child was hurt, do not wait. Being a minor does not pause the six-month notice. Time to sue can be different for minors.

Questions

How long do I have to file a claim against DART in Dallas?

Written notice is generally due within six months. A lawsuit is generally due in 2 years.

Can I email DART my injury claim?

No. DART says email does not count as legal notice.

Where do I get a DART Police crash report?

From DART Police for $6, or $8 certified, by check or money order.

Is the Dallas Streetcar a DART claim?

DART lists the streetcar as owned by the City of Dallas, so send notice to the city's Office of Risk Management too.

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Sources (35)

  1. DART Code of Conduct, checked 2026-11-09. “is a regional transportation authority created and operating under Chapter 452 of the Texas Transportation Code”
  2. Texas Transportation Code 452.052, checked 2026-11-09. “An authority is a governmental unit under Chapter 101”
  3. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  4. DART, Legal Notices, checked 2026-11-08. “communications made through E-Mail or other messaging system shall in no way be deemed to constitute legal notice to DART”
  5. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  6. Martinez v. Val Verde County Hospital District (Tex. 2004), checked 2026-11-09. “The lower courts held that it is not,[2] and we agree.”
  7. Dallas ISD, Motor Vehicle Accident Claim Intake Form, checked 2026-11-09. “a representative from Risk Management Services will contact you within 24 hours or the next business day”
  8. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “liability of a unit of local government under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each single occurrence”
  9. Texas Transportation Code § 452.0561(c), checked 2026-11-09. “An independent contractor of a transportation entity performing a function of the entity or an authority is liable for damages only to the extent that the entity or authority would be liable if the entity or authority itself were performing the function.”
  10. DART Facts, checked 2026-11-09. “Dallas Streetcar (City of Dallas owned)”
  11. Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “within six months after the injury was received”
  12. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “Liability of a municipality under this chapter is limited to money damages in a maximum amount of $250,000 for each person and $500,000 for each single occurrence”
  13. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
  14. DART Facts, checked 2026-11-09. “The service area consists of 12 cities: Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Irving, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and University Park.”
  15. DART Facts, checked 2026-11-09. “FY 2025 Bus Ridership 28.6 million”
  16. DART Facts, checked 2026-11-09. “FY 2025 Paratransit Ridership 967,180 FY 2025 GoLink Ridership 2.1 million”
  17. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A governmental unit is entitled to receive notice of a claim against it under this chapter not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred.”
  18. DART, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-09. “Dallas Area Rapid Transit 1401 Pacific Ave. Dallas, Texas 75202 DART Mailing Address P.O. Box 660163 Dallas, Texas 75266-0163”
  19. DART, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-09. “Requests, Commendations, Suggestions, and Concerns call 214-749-3333”
  20. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
  21. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by Investigating Agency, checked 2026-11-08. “DALLAS AREA 1 2 16 18 77 115 79 174 242 806 12 78 427 RAPID TRANSIT PD”
  22. DART Police, checked 2026-11-08. “2111 S. Corinth St. Rd.”
  23. DART Police, checked 2026-11-08. “214-749-5900”
  24. DART Police, Crash Report Request Form, checked 2026-11-08. “Peace Officer's Crash Report $6.00”
  25. Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “There is a $6.00 fee for the accident report if requested through the mail or if picked up in person.”
  26. 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”
  27. Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the high standard of care associated with common carriers”
  28. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.021, checked 2026-11-09. “arises from the operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle or motor-driven equipment”
  29. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.024, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter does not authorize exemplary damages.”
  30. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  31. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.051, checked 2026-11-09. “Except as to motor vehicles, this chapter does not apply to a school district or to a junior college district.”
  32. Dallas ISD, Been in an Accident with a School Bus, checked 2026-11-09. “Contact the office of Risk Management 24 hours after the accident.”
  33. Dallas ISD, Risk Management Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Risk Management Services 9400 N. Central Expressway, Box 91 Dallas, Texas 75231 Phone: (972) 925-4050”
  34. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  35. City of Dallas, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT 1500 MARILLA 6A SOUTH DALLAS, TEXAS 75201 214-671-9458”

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