Every day, millions of workers ride Manhattan buses or walk past them on crowded streets. MTA buses, tourist double-deckers, commuter buses, and charter buses crowd Manhattan’s avenues—and they cause serious accidents. If you were hit by a bus, injured as a bus passenger, or hurt in a bus-related accident, you face unique legal challenges and an extremely short deadline: 90 days to file your claim if the bus was owned/operated by a municipal entity.
This guide explains your rights after Manhattan bus accidents and why immediate legal help is critical.
Types of Bus Accidents in Manhattan
MTA Buses (Most Common):
- Over 5,700 MTA buses operate in NYC
- Serve all Manhattan neighborhoods
- Frequent stops create constant accident risks
- Pedestrians hit at bus stops
- Passengers injured during sudden stops or crashes
- Cyclists squeezed between buses and parked cars
Tourist Buses (Double-Deckers and Tour Buses):
- Operate heavily in Midtown, Times Square, Financial District
- Often driven by inexperienced or overworked drivers
- Hit pedestrians, cyclists, and low-hanging objects
- Passengers fall from open-top decks
Privately-owned buses:
- Connect Manhattan to surrounding areas
- Private bus companies (Coach USA, Academy, etc.)
- Often speed to stay on schedule
- Frequent accidents during rush hours
Charter and School Buses:
- Event transportation, school trips, church groups
- Variable driver quality
- Often inadequate insurance
- Serious accidents when transporting groups
Manhattan’s Most Dangerous Areas for Bus Accidents
Midtown (34th-59th Streets): Bus-heavy corridors like Eighth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, and crosstown routes (42nd Street, 34th Street) see constant accidents. Tour buses cluster around Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Terminal.
Upper West Side (Broadway, Amsterdam, Columbus): Heavy M10, M11, M104 bus traffic. Accidents at bus stops where pedestrians crowd near curbs. Narrow streets make bus turns dangerous.
Harlem (125th Street, Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue): Major bus routes with high pedestrian traffic. Buses speed on wide streets, hitting pedestrians at crosswalks.
Downtown/Financial District: Narrow streets, heavy tourist bus traffic, and aggressive driving create frequent accidents near Wall Street, World Trade Center, and South Ferry.
Why Bus Accidents Are So Dangerous
Size and Weight: Buses weigh 12,000-40,000 pounds. When a bus hits a pedestrian or cyclist, injuries are catastrophic:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ damage
- Death
Visibility Problems: Bus drivers have huge blind spots:
- Can’t see pedestrians directly in front of bus
- Mirrors don’t show cyclists alongside
- Turning buses sweep wide, hitting people on corners
Sudden Stops: Passengers standing or sitting get thrown when buses:
- Brake suddenly for traffic
- Swerve to avoid obstacles
- Accelerate quickly from stops
Elderly passengers and pregnant women are especially vulnerable.
Door Injuries: Automatic bus doors close with force, causing:
- Broken fingers and hands
- Crushing injuries
- Dragging (door closes on clothing or bags while bus moves)
The Critical 90-Day Deadline: Notice of Claim
This is the most important deadline in bus accident cases:
If your accident involved an MTA bus, NYC Department of Education school bus, or any government entity, you must file a “Notice of Claim” within 90 days from the accident date.
What is a Notice of Claim? A legal document served on the municipal government agency that:
- Describes the accident
- Lists your injuries
- States the compensation you’re seeking
- Preserves your right to sue
Courts rarely grant extensions. If you file on day 91, you lose your right to compensation permanently, no matter how serious your injuries.
This deadline applies to:
- MTA bus accidents
- NYC school bus accidents
- Any city, state, or government bus
- Accidents on city-owned property
- Government employee negligence
This deadline does NOT apply to:
- Private tour bus companies
- Private commuter buses
- Charter bus companies
But you should still act fast for all bus accidents because evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and surveillance footage gets erased.
Your Legal Rights After Manhattan Bus Accidents
Passengers Injured on Buses: If you were a passenger injured when:
- Bus crashed into another vehicle
- Bus braked suddenly and you fell
- Bus door closed on you
- You slipped inside bus
- Another passenger assaulted you
You may have claims against:
- The bus company
- The driver
- Other vehicles if involved
- Bus manufacturer if mechanical failure
- Government (MTA) if applicable
Passengers are almost never at fault. Injured passengers deserve full compensation.
Pedestrians Hit by Buses: If a bus hit you while you were:
- Crossing street
- Waiting at bus stop
- Walking on sidewalk
- Standing on corner
You may recover compensation even if you were jaywalking (under comparative negligence). Bus drivers have a duty to watch for pedestrians.
Cyclists Hit by Buses: Buses squeezing cyclists between the bus and parked cars is common. Bus-on-bike accidents often cause catastrophic injuries. You have full rights to compensation.
Bystanders Injured by Bus Accidents: If you were hurt because:
- Bus crashed into building where you were
- Bus knocked over light pole that hit you
- Debris from a bus accident struck you
You have valid claims for your injuries.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Medical Expenses:
- Emergency treatment and hospitalization
- Surgery and ongoing care
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Medical equipment (wheelchair, walker, etc.)
- Future medical needs
- Pain medication
- Mental health treatment for trauma
Lost Wages:
- All income lost while unable to work
- Future lost earning capacity if disabled
- Loss of employment benefits
- Reduced earning ability
Pain and Suffering:
- Physical pain from injuries
- Emotional distress and PTSD
- Permanent disability
- Loss of quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
Other Damages:
- Property damage
- Transportation to medical appointments
- Home modifications if disabled
- Wrongful death (if family member killed)
How to Maximize Your Bus Accident Claim
Immediate Steps:
- Call 911: Get police report and ambulance
- Document everything: Photos of bus, accident scene, injuries
- Get bus information:
- Bus number (on front and side)
- Route number
- Driver’s badge number
- MTA, tour company, or private company name
- Find witnesses: Other passengers, pedestrians who saw accident
- Report to bus company: If you’re a passenger, report the incident to the driver or company immediately.
- Seek medical treatment: Go to the hospital, not home
Within 24-48 Hours:
- Contact us immediately: If applicable, the 90-day Notice of Claim deadline requires fast action
- Preserve evidence: Lawyer will request:
- Bus camera footage (usually erased within 30-90 days)
- Dispatch records
- Driver logs and history
- Maintenance records
- Prior complaints about bus/driver
Within 90 Days:
- File Notice of Claim (for MTA/government buses)
Common Insurance Company Tactics in Bus Accident Cases
Tactic #1: “You Missed the 90-Day Deadline” MTA and government defendants strictly enforce this deadline, denying all late claims.
Solution: Contact us (Law Offices of Steven Louros) within days of the accident. We’ll file Notice of Claim properly and on time.
Tactic #2: “You Were A Negligent Passenger” Bus companies claim you:
- Weren’t holding on properly
- Were standing when you should sit
- Were distracted on phone
- Should have anticipated the sudden stop
Solution: Passengers have no duty to predict driver negligence. Unless a passenger was intentionally trying to cause an accident, the company/employer could be at fault. Another vehicle could be at fault for the accident, or the passenger could be partially at fault or passenger negligence (not intentional) could make the passenger partially at fault.
Tactic #3: “Driver Had A Medical Emergency” Bus companies claim the driver’s heart attack, stroke, or seizure was an unforeseeable “act of God.”
Solution: We investigate whether the company knew about the driver’s medical conditions. Companies must ensure drivers are medically fit.
Tactic #4: “Pedestrian Jaywalked” MTA aggressively argues pedestrians were crossing illegally.
Solution: Even jaywalking pedestrians can recover under comparative negligence. We prove the driver saw or should have seen a pedestrian and failed to stop.
Tactic #5: “You Can’t Prove Lost Wages” For workers paid cash or tips, insurance claims have no income documentation.
Solution: We document cash income through bank records, employer letters, and other evidence.
Special Issues for Manhattan Bus Accident Victims
MTA Sovereign Immunity: The MTA has special protections as a government entity. You must follow exact procedures (Notice of Claim), and you must file a Notice of Claim prior to filing suit.
Multiple Defendants: Bus accidents often involve:
- Bus company
- Bus driver
- Bus manufacturer
- Other vehicle drivers
- Government (road defects)
We identify all liable parties to maximize compensation.
Unions and Government Bureaucracy: MTA drivers have union protections. Getting disciplinary records and driver history requires legal subpoenas and FOIL requests.
Tour Bus Insurance Issues: Some tour companies carry minimal insurance. We investigate company assets and identify all available coverage.
Surveillance Evidence: NYC buses have cameras inside and outside. This footage is critical evidence, but gets erased quickly. Immediate legal action preserves this evidence.
Why You Need a Lawyer for Manhattan Bus Accidents
Bus accident cases are complex:
1. 90-Day Notice of Claim Requirement, if applicable Lawyers ensure proper filing.
2. Sophisticated Defense Teams MTA and tour companies have experienced defense lawyers fighting claims. You need experienced plaintiff lawyers who know how to beat them.
3. Evidence Preservation Bus camera footage, driver logs, maintenance records, and dispatch communications must be requested immediately through legal process.
4. Medical Documentation Insurance companies demand extensive medical proof. We work with doctors to document injuries properly.
5. Valuation Expertise Bus accident cases can be worth substantial money. Insurance companies lowball.
How the Law Office of Steven Louros Helps Manhattan Bus Accident Victims
For over 50 years, we’ve fought government entities and large bus companies:
We know the 90-day deadline: We file Notices of Claim properly and on time We’ve beaten MTA: Successful cases against New York’s largest transit authority We sue tour bus companies: Experience with all major Manhattan tour operators We speak your language: Chinese (中文), Korean (한국어), Spanish (Español), English We work on contingency: No fees unless we win
We handle:
- Filing Notice of Claim within 90 days
- Investigating bus company safety records
- Obtaining bus camera footage before erasure
- Proving driver negligence
- Documenting injuries comprehensively
- Negotiating with the MTA and insurance companies
- Taking cases to trial when necessary
Our results:
- Over $500 million recovered for injured New Yorkers
- Successful claims against the MTA
- Victories against tour bus companies
- Maximum compensation for catastrophic injuries
Don’t Wait—90 Days Goes Fast
If you were injured in a Manhattan bus accident:
- MTA/public buses: 90-day Notice of Claim deadline
- Private buses: Still act fast to preserve evidence
- Free consultation to learn your rights
Free Consultation in Your Language: (212) 481-5275
No fees unless we win. No upfront costs.
Bus accidents cause life-changing injuries. Don’t let legal deadlines or aggressive insurance companies deny you the compensation you deserve.
Call today. The clock is ticking.
