Yakima Personal Injury Attorneys
Yakima Bus
Accident Lawyers
Buses owe their passengers a heightened duty of care — and a claim against a public transit agency has to clear a presuit filing step before you can ever get to court. If you were hurt on a bus, don’t wait.
“They took my case when other firms turned me down. They found care providers near me for all my treatments and fought to get me the highest compensation possible. I highly recommend Valero Law.”
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When You Trust a Bus, You Deserve to Be Safe
Thousands of Yakima residents climb aboard a bus every day — riding Yakima Transit to work, taking a school bus to class, or boarding a charter or tour bus headed out on I-82. When you step on board, you place your safety in someone else’s hands. When a driver, company, or agency fails that trust, the injuries can be devastating.
A Yakima bus accident lawyer can hold the responsible parties accountable and pursue full compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain. Because a claim against a public agency has to follow a specific presuit process, the sooner you call, the better. Your first consultation is free.
A Track Record That Speaks for Itself
Insurance companies count on injured people accepting a quick, lowball offer. We don’t let them. Over 20 years, our attorneys have recovered more than $500 million for injured clients — including one of the largest personal-injury settlements in the firm’s history.
$6.25M
Confidential settlement
One of the largest personal-injury settlements in the firm’s history.
$5M
Motor-vehicle accident
Brachial plexus injury suffered in a vehicle collision.
$3M
Auto accident
Back and neck injury settlement.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different.
Buses Are Common Carriers — and That Changes Everything
A bus is what the law calls a common carrier: a business that transports the public for a fee. That includes Yakima Transit city buses, school buses, and the charter and tour buses that travel through the Yakima Valley. Washington courts have long recognized that common carriers owe their passengers a heightened duty of care — a stricter standard than the ordinary care every other driver owes on the road.
In practice, that means a bus operator must use the utmost care and diligence to keep riders safe. When a passenger is injured, that heightened standard can make it easier to prove the operator fell short — and easier to hold them accountable for the harm they caused.
Why Bus Injuries Are So Often Severe
Unlike cars, most buses are not equipped with passenger seatbelts. In a collision, riders are thrown into seats, poles, windows, and one another. Combined with a bus’s sheer size and weight, that often turns even a moderate crash into a catastrophic-injury event.
Suing a Public Transit Agency? You Must File a Tort Claim First
Many Yakima buses are run by a government body — Yakima Transit, a school district, or the city or county. Claims against a local government are not ordinary lawsuits. Under RCW 4.96.020, you must first present your claim on the agency’s tort claim form, and then wait 60 calendar days before you are permitted to file suit.
Get that sequence wrong — file suit too early, or never present the claim at all — and your case can be dismissed even when the agency was clearly at fault. The underlying deadline is the same three-year personal-injury limitations period in RCW 4.16.080(2) that applies to a claim against a private bus company. Because the procedure turns on exactly who owned and operated the bus, the safest move is to call a lawyer immediately.
Who Is Liable for a Bus Accident?
Bus crashes are rarely simple. More than one party often shares the blame, and each one may carry its own insurance and its own legal team. Identifying every responsible party is one of the most important parts of building your case — and one of the easiest to get wrong without an experienced attorney.
We investigate the cause of the crash, secure the evidence before it disappears, and pursue every party that contributed to your injuries so no source of compensation is overlooked.
Potentially Responsible Parties
- The bus driver — for distraction, fatigue, speeding, or impairment
- The transit agency or private bus company that employed the driver
- Another motorist whose negligence caused the collision
- A maintenance contractor that failed to service the bus
- The bus or parts manufacturer if a defect contributed
When an employer is involved, it can be held responsible for the negligence of a driver acting in the course of their job — which often means more insurance coverage available to pay for your injuries.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Most bus crashes come down to negligence — a driver, company, or agency that failed to use the care the law demands. On busy Yakima corridors like Yakima Ave, Nob Hill Blvd, and Summitview Ave, even a single lapse can injure dozens of passengers at once.
Distracted driving — texting, phones, or eating behind the wheel
Speeding or driving too fast for traffic and road conditions
Driver fatigue from long routes and demanding schedules
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Poorly maintained brakes, tires, or steering systems
Inadequate driver training, screening, or supervision
Common Bus Accident Injuries We Handle
Because passengers ride without seatbelts and a bus carries enormous force, the injuries from a bus crash tend to be more serious than those from an ordinary fender-bender — and they can change a life in an instant.
Head & Brain Trauma
Without a seatbelt to restrain them, passengers are thrown into seats, poles, and windows — a common cause of concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
Spinal Cord & Back Injuries
The force of a bus collision can herniate discs or damage the spinal cord, sometimes causing partial or permanent loss of mobility.
Broken Bones
Passengers standing or seated without restraints are often thrown about the cabin, fracturing arms, ribs, hips, and legs on impact.
Neck & Whiplash Injuries
Sudden stops and rear-end impacts snap the head forward and back, straining the neck and soft tissue for months afterward.
Internal Injuries
Blunt force from a hard cabin surface can damage internal organs — injuries that are not always obvious right away but can turn life-threatening.
Lacerations & Crush Injuries
Shattered glass, twisted metal, and crowded cabins leave passengers with deep cuts, scarring, and crush injuries to the limbs.
No matter how minor your injuries seem at first, see a doctor and document everything. Some of the most serious conditions — like internal bleeding or a brain injury — don’t show symptoms until days later.
What to Do After a Bus Accident
What you do in the hours and days after a bus crash can make or break your claim — especially when a public agency is involved and a presuit claim has to be filed. Here’s how to protect your health and your case.
Call 911 and get checked out
Report the crash and see a doctor even if you feel okay — bus passengers often have internal or soft-tissue injuries that surface days later.
Document everything you can
Photos of the bus, the scene, and your injuries, plus the bus route or number, the operator, and the names of fellow passengers and witnesses.
Don’t give a recorded statement
The transit agency or bus company’s insurer is not on your side. Anything you say can be used to shrink — or deny — your payout.
Call Valero fast
Claims against a public agency require a presuit tort claim filing and a 60-day wait before you can sue. We handle the investigation and the paperwork, and can come to your home or hospital.
Compensation After a Bus Accident
A serious crash brings bills that don’t stop just because you can’t work. Washington law lets injured bus passengers and motorists recover two kinds of damages. And under RCW 4.22.005, Washington applies pure comparative fault — if you are found partly responsible, your award is reduced proportionately, but you are not barred from recovering.
Economic Damages
Calculable, out-of-pocket losses you can prove with bills and records.
- Emergency care, surgery, and hospital bills
- Ongoing physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Future medical care for lasting injuries
Non-Economic Damages
The human cost of your injuries — subjective, but very real.
- Pain and physical suffering
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
- Loss of consortium and companionship
- Lost future enjoyment of life
Why Injured Passengers Choose Valero Law Group
We Take On Big Defendants
Transit agencies and bus companies have teams of lawyers. So do you. We’re not intimidated by deep-pocketed defendants.
No Fee Unless We Win
You pay nothing up front. We only get paid when we recover money for you.
We Speak Spanish
Hablamos Español. You’ll always understand your case and your options.
Available 24/7
Day or night, a real person is here when you or your family need help.
We Come to You
Injured and can’t travel? We’ll meet you at home or in the hospital.
$500M+ Recovered
Over 20 years fighting for the injured, including one of the largest PI settlements in the firm’s history.
See What Our Clients Are Saying...
“The first time I came into the office they welcomed me like I was family, and made sure to go over the whole process slowly and with great detail. My experience with this law firm was truly incredible and I can guarantee any client who decides to hire them will see exactly what I experienced.”
Jacob D.
Auto Accident
“Valero injury law firm made me feel comfortable like family and answered my questions no matter how small. They are completely committed to making sure you are taken care of. They are honest, they communicate with you, and they treat you like family.”
Elizabeth M.
Auto Accident
“After searching for an attorney, they truly were the only ones that looked at me as a person not just an easy case. Any question, no matter how small was answered. Any missed call was quickly returned. Even though they have many clients I never felt like I was not a priority.”
Nathan J.
Personal Injury
Serving Bus Riders Across Yakima & Yakima Valley
From Yakima Ave and 1st St to Nob Hill Blvd, Summitview Ave, and Fruitvale Blvd, we know Yakima’s busiest transit routes. We help injured bus passengers, drivers, and pedestrians across Yakima County and the wider Yakima Valley, including Union Gap, Selah, Terrace Heights, Moxee, Wapato, Toppenish, Sunnyside, Zillah, and Naches.
24/7 Line
(800) 985-9565Bus Accident FAQ
How long do I have to file a bus accident claim in Washington?
Who can be held liable for a Yakima bus accident?
What is a “common carrier” and why does it matter?
Why are bus accident injuries so often severe?
What does it cost to hire a bus accident lawyer?
How much is my Yakima bus accident case worth?
Sources: RCW 4.96.020 (local government tort claim form and 60-day waiting period) · RCW 4.16.080(2) (3-year personal-injury deadline) · RCW 4.22.005 (pure comparative fault).
Injured on a Bus? Don’t Wait to Call.
A skilled Yakima bus accident lawyer will stand up to the transit agency or bus company — and go to court if that’s what it takes to get you full value. Your first consultation is free, and claims against a public agency have to clear a presuit tort claim filing before suit can be brought. Call now.
This page provides general information about Washington bus accident law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. For advice about your specific situation, speak with a licensed attorney.