Find a bus accident lawyer in Midland: EZ-Rider, school buses and your deadline
Hurt on or by an EZ-Rider bus in Midland? The bus system is run by the Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District. Texas treats an urban transit district as a local government body, so plan on written notice of your claim within 6 months. You generally have 2 years to sue.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (32)
Who do I file a claim against after a bus accident in Midland?
It depends on whose name is on the bus. Start here, because the deadline changes with the owner.
| Bus | Who answers for it | Claim deadline | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ-Rider bus or paratransit van | Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District | 6 months for written notice | The district or its insurer, up to the limit below |
| Yellow school bus | Midland ISD | 6 months for written notice | The school district or its insurer |
| City of Midland van or truck | City Risk Management | 60 days under the city charter | The city or its insurer |
| Charter, tour or crew bus | The private company | No government notice; 2 years to sue | The company's commercial policy |
Local government units are generally limited to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. Cities have higher limits, $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence. A private interstate bus with 16 or more seats must carry $5 million under federal rules. Punitive damages are not allowed under the Tort Claims Act.
How do I give notice to EZ-Rider in Midland?
We could not find a claim form or a claims address published by EZ-Rider. We also found no sign that the city's 60-day charter rule covers the transit district, which is a separate body with its own board. So use the state's 6-month rule as your outside limit, and move sooner if you can.
- Call EZ-Rider at (432) 561-9990 and ask who takes injury claims.
- Write down the date, time, route number, direction and the bus number if you saw it.
- Mail a dated letter to 10300 Younger Rd, Midland, TX 79706, with tracking. Describe the injury, the time and the place.
- Ask in writing that video and driver records be saved. Texas public records are open during business hours.
- Keep a copy of everything, and write down who you spoke with.
Formal notice is excused if the government actually knew about the claim, but do not count on that. Being a minor does not pause the 6-month notice either. A parent should send it for a hurt child.
What if a Midland ISD school bus hurt my child?
Call Transportation at (432) 240-1700 and Midland ISD Police at (432) 240-1050. The district says any district vehicle accident must be reported to both, with a full report and photos. Ask for a copy.
School claims are narrow. In Texas, the Tort Claims Act reaches school districts only for motor vehicles. The harm has to come from using the bus, and the bus must be more than just the place where something happened.
A fight on board may not qualify. A driver who pulls away while a child is stepping down is a stronger claim. Children also face more risk walking to or leaving the bus than riding in it.
I was a passenger and fell on a Midland bus. Do I have a case?
Maybe. Texas holds a common carrier to a high standard of care, and the test turns on whether the business is transportation. Sudden stops, a door closing on you and a driver leaving before you sit are all worth reporting.
Paratransit riders have their own issue. EZ-Rider says its drivers will help passengers board or leave at the curb as needed. If you fell during that step, say so in your notice and name the address.
EZ-Rider buses loop out of the Downtown Transfer Plaza at Texas and Fort Worth. If you were hurt there, tell the investigator exactly where you were standing.
A bus hit my car in Midland. Who investigates?
Inside the city, Midland Police. Reports are usually ready at the MPD Records window after 1 p.m., five days after the crash. The office is at 601 N. Loraine, (432) 685-7145. Red light and stop sign running is part of 34% of crashes in Midland, far above the 12% seen in Texas, so ask who had the signal and whether a witness saw it.
Shared fault counts here. If you are more than 50 percent at fault, you get nothing from the bus operator. After a deadly crash, a transit agency has to test its driver as soon as it can.
Questions
How long do I have after an EZ-Rider accident in Midland?
Plan on 6 months for written notice and 2 years to file a lawsuit.
Does the 60-day city deadline apply to EZ-Rider?
It applies to claims against the City of Midland. We found nothing applying it to the transit district, but if a city vehicle was also involved, meet the 60 days.
Can I sue Midland ISD over a school bus crash?
Sometimes. It has to involve the operation or use of the vehicle, and the damages are limited.
Where do I get the police report for a bus crash in Midland?
From MPD Records at 601 N. Loraine for city crashes, or from TxDOT, which holds Texas crash records.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (32)
- EZ-Rider, The Legal Stuff, checked 2026-11-08. “EZ-Rider and the Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District (MOUTD)”
- Texas Transportation Code 458.001, checked 2026-11-09. “"Urban transit district" means a local governmental body or political subdivision of this state that operates a public transportation system in an urbanized area”
- 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”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- City of Midland Charter, Sec. 8, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified within sixty days after the same has been sustained”
- Midland ISD Risk Management, checked 2026-11-09. “Any MISD Vehicle accident must be reported to The Transportation Department (432) 240-1700 and the MISD Police Department (432) 240-1050.”
- Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the high standard of care associated with common carriers”
- Midland ISD, checked 2026-11-09. “Midland ISD 615 W. Missouri Ave. Midland TX 79701 432-240-1000”
- City of Midland, Process for Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Risk Management Division City of Midland PO Box 1152 Midland, TX 79702”
- 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”
- 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”
- 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.024, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter does not authorize exemplary damages.”
- EZ-Rider Board, checked 2026-11-09. “The MOUTD Board is the official governing body of the transit system”
- EZ-Rider, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “CALL US! (432) 561-9990”
- EZ-Rider Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “10300 Younger Rd Midland, TX 79706”
- 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.”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “children are more at risk when approaching or leaving a school bus”
- Speed Boat Leasing v. Elmer (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “Our traditional common-carrier analysis turns on the business of transportation”
- EZ-Rider Paratransit, checked 2026-11-09. “Drivers will provide assistance as needed for passengers to board or exit the vehicle at the curb.”
- EZ-Rider Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “EZ-Rider fixed-route buses run in loops from the Downtown Transfer Plaza in Midland at Texas & Fort Worth.”
- Midland Police Department, Request A Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Traffic accident reports are typically available at the MPD Records window after 1 p.m., five days after the accident.”
- Midland Police Department, Request A Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “MPD Records Phone: (432) 685-7145 Address: 601 N. Loraine”
- City of Midland, Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, July 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “Red light and stop sign running is a”
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- 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”
- 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”
- TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “TxDOT is the custodian of crash records for the state of Texas”