Find a bus accident lawyer in Houston: METRO's 180-day claim and who pays

If a METRO bus or train hurt you in Houston, METRO's Notice of Claim form must be completed, signed and delivered within 180 days of the incident. Mail it to P.O. Box 61429, Houston 77208-1429, or email it to METRO Claims. METRO is a governmental unit, so Texas limits on government claims can apply.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (36)

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Road map of Houston showing the 610 Loop, the area METRO local bus routes serve inside and outside
METRO's injury claim form is due within 180 days of the incident. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who runs the bus that hit me in Houston, and what is the deadline?

Start by naming the operator. METRO runs more than 80 local bus routes inside and outside the 610 Loop, and its service area covers more than 1,300 square miles. But plenty of other buses use Houston streets, and each brings its own clock.

BusYour first deadlineWhere it goes
METRO bus or train180 days from the incidentMETRO Claims, P.O. Box 61429, Houston 77208-1429, or [email protected]. Phone 713-635-4000
Houston ISD or other school bus6 months for notice to a governmentThe school district. HISD's main line is 713-556-6000
City of Houston shuttle or vehicle90 days, verified, in writingCity Secretary, P.O. Box 1562, Houston 77251-1562
Harris County vehicle180 days, in writingCommissioners Court, 1001 Preston, Room 610, Houston 77002
Private charter, intercity or hotel shuttle2 years to sueThe bus company and its insurer

Texas law lets a city charter set its own notice time, which is why Houston's 90 days is shorter than the state's 6 months. Being a child does not pause the 6-month government notice, even though it pauses the deadline to sue. If the government already had actual notice, the formal notice may be excused, but do not count on that.

How do I file a claim against METRO in Houston?

  1. Get the Notice of Claim form from METRO's website. It is required of anyone making a claim against METRO.
  2. Fill in the date, time and place. For a bus or train, include the vehicle number, boarding and exit location and police report number if you know them.
  3. Mark the type of claim and describe your injuries.
  4. Sign it. Send it by mail or email, and keep a copy and proof of delivery.
  5. If police came, ask METRO Police at 713-224-2677 for the report number.

Public information from a governmental body is open during business hours, so a lawyer may ask METRO for maintenance logs and the operator's record. After a death, federal transit rules call for drug and alcohol tests as soon as practicable, with time limits of 2 and 8 hours for alcohol. Ask early whether a test was done.

How much can METRO or a Houston school district have to pay?

Government claims have ceilings, and this is what surprises most people. Texas limits a unit of local government to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. A city's limit is $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence. The Tort Claims Act does not allow punitive damages against these bodies.

A private bus is different. Federal rules set minimum coverage at $5,000,000 for vehicles seating 16 or more, and $1,500,000 for 15 or fewer, for the carriers they cover. Texas courts also hold common carriers to a high standard of care, and that test turns on the business of transportation.

Above 50 percent fault, you recover nothing.

I fell on a METRO bus in Houston. Do I have a claim?

Perhaps. Texas waives government immunity for injuries that arise from the operation or use of a motor vehicle. A sudden stop or a door that closed on you may qualify. A fight among riders is harder, because the bus must be more than just the setting for the injury. A METRORail crash follows the same claim form as a bus.

What if my child was hurt on a Houston ISD school bus?

A school district can be reached under Texas's government claims law only for motor vehicles. So a bus crash may qualify, and a playground injury usually does not. Injuries on the bus need the vehicle itself to be a cause.

These crashes can be severe. In September 2015, two students on an HISD bus died after a collision on I-610. HISD Police may investigate accidents that involve HISD vehicles, but normally do not handle crashes on city streets, where the local agency takes over. You may need the report from HPD or from HISD Police, so ask both.

What should I ask a bus accident lawyer in Houston?

  • Have you filed claims against METRO, and which damages limit do you expect?
  • Will you deliver the notice yourself before day 180, and keep proof?
  • Will you request video from the bus and the route's operator file?

Questions

How long do I have to file a claim against METRO in Houston?

METRO's form says within 180 days of the incident. A lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years.

Where do I send a METRO injury claim?

To METRO Claims at P.O. Box 61429, Houston 77208-1429, or [email protected].

Can I sue if a METRO driver hit my car?

Yes, if the claim comes from the operation of the bus. Government limits may apply.

Who investigates a school bus crash in Houston?

On city streets, usually the local police agency. HISD Police may also look at crashes that involve its vehicles.

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Sources (36)

  1. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “within 180 days of the incident by anyone desiring to make a claim against METRO”
  2. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “Email: [email protected]”
  3. Texas Transportation Code 451.052, checked 2026-11-09. “An authority is a governmental unit under Chapter 101”
  4. 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”
  5. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-09. “include the bus/train number, boarding and exit location, and police report number, if known”
  6. METRO, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “Call or text METRO Police at 713-224-COPS (2677)”
  7. METRO, Local Bus, checked 2026-11-09. “With more than 80 local bus routes serving communities inside and outside the 610 Loop”
  8. METRO, About METRO, checked 2026-11-09. “The METRO Service Area Covers More Than 1,300 Square Miles”
  9. 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”
  10. Houston ISD, Transportation, checked 2026-11-09. “713-556-6000”
  11. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained”
  12. City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “City Secretary's Office City of Houston Post Office Box 1562 Houston, Texas 77251-1562”
  13. Harris County, Claim Filing Procedures, checked 2026-11-08. “Written notice of your claim must be mailed or delivered in person within 180 days of the occurrence to: Harris County Commissioners Court 1001 Preston, Room 610 Houston, Texas 77002”
  14. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  15. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “A city's charter and ordinance provisions requiring notice within a charter period permitted by law are ratified and approved.”
  16. 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”
  17. 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.”
  18. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  19. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
  20. 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.”
  21. 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”
  22. 49 CFR 655.44, checked 2026-11-09. “is not administered within two hours following the accident, the employer shall prepare and maintain on file a record”
  23. 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”
  24. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.024, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter does not authorize exemplary damages.”
  25. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
  26. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 15 passengers or less, including the driver 1,500,000”
  27. Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the high standard of care associated with common carriers”
  28. Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “Our traditional common-carrier analysis turns on the business of transportation”
  29. 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”
  30. 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”
  31. 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.”
  32. METRO, METRORail, checked 2026-11-09. “METRORail is Houston’s light rail network”
  33. 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.”
  34. National Transportation Safety Board, HWY15FH010, checked 2026-11-09. “two student passengers on the bus died”
  35. Houston ISD Police Department, Directive 450-021, checked 2026-11-09. “HISD officers may investigate accidents that involve:”
  36. Houston ISD Police Department, Directive 450-021, checked 2026-11-09. “HISD Officers normally do not investigate accidents on city streets”

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