Find a bus accident lawyer in El Paso: Sun Metro's 90-day notice comes first

Sun Metro is a City of El Paso department, so a crash with one of its buses falls under the city's claim rule. Your sworn written notice has to reach the Mayor within 90 days of the injury, or 6 months with good cause. The 2-year lawsuit deadline does not replace that notice.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (32)

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Road map of El Paso showing the Mesa, Alameda, Dyer and Montana corridors served by Sun Metro Brio lines
Sun Metro injury? The Mayor must get a sworn notice in 90 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Which El Paso buses does the 90-day rule cover?

It covers buses the city runs. That means Sun Metro regular routes, the four Brio lines on Mesa, Alameda, Dyer and Montana, and LIFT, the curb-to-curb paratransit service. Sun Metro's fact sheet lists 161 buses and 67 LIFT vehicles. If you were on one, hit by one, or in a car that one struck, plan on the city's rule.

BusWho answers for itYour first deadline
Sun Metro, Brio or LIFTCity of El PasoSworn notice in 90 days, or 6 months for good cause
School busThe school district, and only for motor vehicle claimsWritten notice in 6 months
Charter or long-distance bus from a private companyThe company and its insurerLawsuit in 2 years

Long-distance and cross-border buses are part of life here. The Bridge of the Americas handles buses along with cars and trucks. A private carrier with 16 or more seats on covered interstate trips must carry at least $5,000,000 in coverage. Get the company name from the side of the bus.

How do I send the sworn notice for a Sun Metro accident in El Paso?

  1. Count 90 days from the day you were hurt and mark it on a calendar.
  2. Write down the date, time and place, how you were hurt, who saw it and which doctors treated you.
  3. Swear to it. You or someone authorized to act for you must do this.
  4. Add the accident report if you have it, your medical bills and a doctor's narrative.
  5. Address it to the Mayor's office at Post Office Box 1890 in El Paso 79950, or use email. Keep proof of the date.

Calling (915) 212-3333 or filling out Sun Metro's online form helps create a record, but it does not do the job of a sworn notice. Texas law can excuse formal notice when a government truly knew about the claim, yet that is a fight you do not want to depend on.

A child's injury needs the same speed. The Texas Supreme Court has held that being a minor does not pause the state's 6-month notice. The city's shorter period gives even less room.

Who pays after a Sun Metro bus accident in El Paso?

If the driver caused it, the claim goes against the city. Texas waives a government's immunity when an injury arises from the operation or use of a motor vehicle. That wording matters. A fall while the bus is moving can fit. A fight between riders, where the bus is only the setting, may not.

  • The limit against a city is $250,000 per person and $500,000 per incident.
  • The Tort Claims Act does not allow punitive damages.
  • If another driver caused the crash, that driver's insurer is a second place to look. Texas sets the minimum liability limit at $30,000 per injured person.
  • You get nothing if you are more than 50 percent at fault.

Before you can sue, the city's charter says the claim must first go to the Council and the Council must fail to act in a timely way. That step takes time, so start early. Bus companies that carry the public can owe a high standard of care under Texas law, which can help a passenger's case.

What should I save after a bus crash on Mesa, Dyer or Montana?

Write down the bus or route number and the time. Ask for video in writing soon. Texas public information must be available during normal business hours, but that does not mean a recording will be kept forever. If someone died, federal rules require drug and alcohol testing as soon as practicable.

Police reports for city streets come from EPPD Records at 911 N. Raynor St. for $6. Many serious crashes happen where riders get on and off: 47.5% of crashes that killed or badly hurt someone were within 250 feet of a transit stop. If you were hit crossing to your stop, tell the officer where the stop was. On LIFT, customer support is at 915-212-LIFT.

What should I ask a bus accident lawyer in El Paso?

  • Has my sworn notice to the Mayor been sent, and can I see the proof?
  • How will you get the bus video before it is gone?
  • Did the injury come from how the bus was driven or used?
  • Is there another driver or insurer besides the city?

Questions

How long do I have after a Sun Metro accident in El Paso?

Send a sworn notice to the Mayor within 90 days, or within 6 months for good cause. The 2-year lawsuit deadline comes later, and the 90-day notice comes first.

Is telling Sun Metro enough?

Do not count on it. Customer service is not the Mayor's office, and the rule asks for a sworn written notice.

Can I claim if I fell on a Brio bus?

Possibly, if the fall came from how the bus was driven or used. Brio is part of Sun Metro, so the same notice applies.

How much can the city pay?

Up to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per incident under Texas law. That is a limit, not a promise of any amount.

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Sources (32)

  1. Sun Metro Suspension of Service Policy, checked 2026-11-08. “the City of El Paso's Mass Transit Department (Sun Metro)”
  2. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date the damage occurred or the injury was received, give notice in writing to the mayor”
  3. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be sworn to by the person claiming damages or by someone authorized by him to do so on his behalf”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Office of the Mayor P.O. Box 1890 El Paso, Texas, 79950”
  6. Sun Metro Contact Us, checked 2026-11-09. “Bus Number:”
  7. 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”
  8. Sun Metro Transit Fact Sheet, checked 2026-11-09. “BRIO ROUTES MESA 2014 ALAMEDA 2019 DYER 2019 MONTANA 2022”
  9. Sun Metro LIFT FAQ, checked 2026-11-09. “The LIFT is a paratransit service that provides curb-to-curb, on-demand transportation”
  10. Sun Metro Transit Fact Sheet, checked 2026-11-09. “161 BUSES 67 PARATRANSIT (LIFT) VEHICLES”
  11. 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.”
  12. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  13. TxDOT, El Paso Region Texas Border Facts, March 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “which handles commercial vehicles, buses, pedestrians, and passenger vehicles”
  14. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
  15. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “the name of the doctors, if any, to whose care the injured person is committed”
  16. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident report, if available, Photocopy of Certificate of Title of damaged vehicle, Photocopy of medical bills, if any, and Doctor’s narrative”
  17. Sun Metro, Safety & Security, checked 2026-11-08. “customer service line at (915)212.3333”
  18. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
  19. 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.”
  20. 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”
  21. LeLeaux v. Hamshire-Fannett ISD (Tex. 1992), checked 2026-11-09. “When an injury occurs on a school bus but does not arise out of the use or operation of the bus, and the bus is only the setting for the injury, immunity for liability is not waived.”
  22. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.024, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter does not authorize exemplary damages.”
  23. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  24. 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”
  25. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “no suit shall be instituted against the City unless the claimant shall aver and prove that, previous to filing the original petition, the claim was presented to the Council”
  26. Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the high standard of care associated with common carriers”
  27. Texas Government Code 552.021, checked 2026-11-09. “Public information is available to the public at a minimum during the normal business hours of the governmental body.”
  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. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “EPPD RECORDS DIVISION 911 N. Raynor St El Paso, TX 79903”
  30. El Paso Police Department, Records & Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident or Crash Reports $6.00”
  31. City of El Paso, Vision Zero Action Plan (June 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “47.5% of KSI crashes are within 250 feet of a transit stop”
  32. Sun Metro news release, checked 2026-11-09. “customers may dial 915-212-LIFT (5438) for direct customer support”

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