Find a bus accident lawyer in San Antonio: VIA claims, video and deadlines

VIA Metropolitan Transit is a government body, so Texas law generally requires notice of your claim within 6 months. File with VIA, not the City of San Antonio. VIA pays its own injury claims. You generally have 2 years to sue.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (37)

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Road map of San Antonio showing Fredericksburg Road and Zarzamora Street, two corridors served by VIA Prímo buses
VIA bus claims: notice is generally due within 6 months. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who do I file a claim with after a VIA bus accident in San Antonio?

With VIA itself. VIA is a metropolitan transit authority created under Chapter 451 of the Texas Transportation Code. State law treats an authority like that as a governmental unit. The City of San Antonio's own claim form says injuries caused by VIA go to VIA and not to the city.

  1. See a doctor and say that you were on a bus or hit by one.
  2. Report it. VIA Transit Police answer (210) 362-2439 all day and night, and (210) 362-2117 for non-emergencies. Its officers may investigate traffic incidents that involve the transit system.
  3. Write down the date, time, nearest intersection, route number, direction and bus number. VIA asks for those details when you request records.
  4. Send VIA a written notice that says when, where and how you were hurt. Use a mail service that gives proof of delivery, and keep a copy.

We could not find a published VIA injury claim form or claims address on VIA's website. Call customer service at (210) 362-2020, ask where injury notices should go and write down the answer.

How long do I have to file a claim for a bus accident in San Antonio?

Who ran the busNotice deadlineDeadline to sue
VIA bus or VIAtrans van6 months, unless a shorter rule appliesGenerally 2 years
City of San Antonio vehicleWritten notice within 90 daysGenerally 2 years
School district bus6 monthsGenerally 2 years
Private tour or charter companyNo government noticeGenerally 2 years

The 90-day rule comes from the city charter and covers the city. We did not find a shorter rule written for VIA, but have a lawyer confirm that for your dates. Texas law excuses formal notice when the government actually knew about the claim, yet a crash report alone may not be enough, so do not count on it.

Who pays if a VIA bus hits me in San Antonio?

VIA does. Its financial report says it is self-insured for public liability claims and pays them from general operating revenues. So the person calling you probably works for VIA or handles claims for VIA, and that person's job is to limit what VIA pays.

  • State law opens the door when the injury comes from the operation or use of a motor vehicle. A fall on a moving bus or a crash fits that better than something that only happened to take place on a bus.
  • Local government units have a limit of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. Cities have higher limits, but VIA is not a city, so ask which one applies.
  • A public body cannot be made to pay punitive damages under this law.
  • Your share of the blame counts. Above 50 percent, you recover nothing.

Which San Antonio bus routes run on the most dangerous streets?

VIA runs 75 lines and over 6,000 stops, from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., across 1,210 square miles. Its Prímo service boards at stations on Fredericksburg Road and at enhanced stops on Zarzamora Street. The city has named both streets as High-Injury Network corridors.

That does not make VIA responsible for a crash there. It does matter if a car hit you while you walked to a stop. In that case the driver's insurer is usually the one to pay, and the Texas minimum is $30,000 per person.

How do I get video from a VIA bus in San Antonio?

VIA's public information form has check boxes for an incident report, a VIA Transit Police report and bus or van video. The request has to be in writing. Mail it or take it to 123 N. Medina St., or email [email protected].

We could not find how long VIA keeps bus video, so send the request in the first days after the crash. If someone died, federal rules call for drug and alcohol tests of the transit employee as soon as practicable. If San Antonio Police wrote the report, it costs $6 and can take up to 14 days to show up in the TxDOT system.

What about VIAtrans, tour buses and school buses in San Antonio?

  • VIAtrans vans are part of VIA, with 139 vehicles, so the same notice rule applies.
  • SAPD's Ground Transportation Unit enforces city rules on tours and charters. Its number is 210-207-7482.
  • Interstate passenger carriers with 16 or more seats must carry $5 million in coverage under federal rules.
  • School districts can be sued under the Tort Claims Act only for motor vehicle claims. We did not verify each area district's claim office, so write to the district's central office.

What should I ask a bus accident lawyer in San Antonio?

  • Have you handled claims against VIA? Where did you send the notice?
  • Will you ask for the bus video this week?
  • Which damages limit do you think applies, and how does that change my options?

Questions

Can I sue VIA after a bus accident?

Yes, in many cases, when the injury comes from operating the bus. Give notice within 6 months and sue within the 2-year limit.

Does my claim go to the City of San Antonio?

No. The city says claims caused by VIA are filed with VIA.

What if my child was hurt on a VIA bus?

Being a minor can pause the time to sue, but it does not pause the 6-month notice.

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Sources (37)

  1. 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”
  2. City of San Antonio, Notice of Claim form, checked 2026-11-08. “No, you would need to file a claim with the corresponding entity.”
  3. VIA Metropolitan Transit, 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, checked 2026-11-09. “VIA is self-insured and self-administered for public liability and property damage claims. Claims are paid from general operating revenues.”
  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. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Public Information Request Form, checked 2026-11-09. “in writing to the Officer for Public Information via regular mail (123 N. Medina St., San Antonio, TX 78207), by dropping it off in person at 123 N. Medina St., or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]”
  6. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Transit Police page, checked 2026-11-08. “VIA Transit Police Emergency Line (210) 362-2439”
  7. 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.”
  8. VIA Metropolitan Transit, 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, checked 2026-11-09. “VIA is a Metropolitan Transit Authority established on March 1, 1978, under the provisions prescribed in Article 1118x, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas (now codified as Ch. 451, Texas Transportation Code)”
  9. Texas Transportation Code 451.052, checked 2026-11-09. “An authority is a governmental unit under Chapter 101”
  10. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Transit Police page, checked 2026-11-09. “(210) 362-2117”
  11. VIA Transit Police, Code of Conduct, checked 2026-11-09. “Enforce traffic laws and investigate traffic incidents that involve or occur in the transit system”
  12. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Public Information Request Form, checked 2026-11-09. “date; time of incident, a.m. or p.m.; location or nearest intersection; route number; direction of travel; bus number (if possible)”
  13. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Transit Police page, checked 2026-11-08. “VIA Customer Service (210) 362-2020”
  14. San Antonio City Charter, Article XII, Sec. 150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “notice in writing of such death, injury or destruction within ninety days after the injury has been sustained”
  15. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice”
  16. 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”
  17. 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.”
  18. 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”
  19. 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”
  20. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 101.024, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter does not authorize exemplary damages.”
  21. 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”
  22. VIA Metropolitan Transit, About VIA, checked 2026-11-09. “VIA buses make over 6,000 stops along 75 bus lines seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m.”
  23. VIA Metropolitan Transit, About VIA, checked 2026-11-09. “VIA’s service area is 1,210 square miles. The service area is made up of the unincorporated parts of Bexar County”
  24. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Prímo Service, checked 2026-11-09. “Along Fredericksburg Rd., Primo passengers board at stations instead of standard bus stops.”
  25. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Prímo Service, checked 2026-11-09. “Along Zarzamora Street and Military Dr., most Primo passengers will board at enhanced Prímo stops”
  26. City of San Antonio news release, November 17, 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “three of the city’s High-Injury Network (HIN) corridors: Zarzamora Street, Fredericksburg Road and W.W. White Road”
  27. 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.”
  28. VIA Metropolitan Transit, Public Information Request Form, checked 2026-11-09. “Incident Report ____ VIA Transit Police Report ____ Bus/Van Video ____ Property Video”
  29. 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”
  30. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident Reports | $6”
  31. City of San Antonio, Police Open Records Requests, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports can take up to 14 days to appear in the system.”
  32. VIA Metropolitan Transit, About VIA, checked 2026-11-09. “The active VIAtrans fleet consists of 139 paratransit vehicles”
  33. SAPD, Ground Transportation Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “enforces the requirements of Chapter 33 of the City Code”
  34. SAPD, Contact & Connect, checked 2026-11-08. “Ground Transportation Unit : 210-207-7482”
  35. 49 CFR 387.33, checked 2026-11-09. “seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, including the driver $5,000,000”
  36. 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.”
  37. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”

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