Stockton Bus Accident Lawyers

Our Bus Accident Lawyers in Stockton Can Guide You Through the Legal Process

Navigating the legal system after a road crash is overwhelming enough. If you have to do it while recovering from serious injuries, it’s almost impossible to do successfully.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the legal procedures of filing a personal injury claim alone. Our Stockton bus accident lawyers are ready to lend a hand and make the process easier for you. We’ll handle your case from start to finish, from collecting evidence to ensuring you get the financial compensation that reflects the full extent of your losses and injuries.

Here are just some of the things we can assist with if you hire us as your legal counsel:

• Gathering evidence, from witness statements to police reports to surveillance footage
• Investigating the accident with the available evidence
• Identifying all parties liable for the accident, and therefore, your injuries
• Identifying all possible sources of compensation
• Estimating the true value of your claim, taking into account economic and non-economic damages
• Communicating with insurance companies on your behalf to ensure they don’t lowball you or minimize your payout
• Taking the negligent parties to trial if a fair settlement can’t be reached
• Building a winning legal strategy that strengthens your case and increases your chances of getting maximum financial compensation for your injuries

We’re ready to be your partners in every step of the legal process. We’ll keep you informed at every turn, explain your options, and fight tirelessly to bring those who caused your injuries to justice. Our goal is to secure the compensation you are owed so you can recover not just physically, but financially, after a bus accident.

Discover more about what we can do for you when you book a FREE CASE REVIEW with the team!

How Our Bus Accident Attorneys in Stockton Establish Liability

After pinpointing who might have been at fault for the road crash, our bus accident attorneys go through four legal steps to prove the at-fault party’s negligence, namely:

1. Proving the duty of care:  We demonstrate that the bus driver or third-party motorist had a legal obligation to treat you and other passengers with the utmost care.
2. Showing evidence of the breach of duty:  Through photos and videos, surveillance footage, witness statements, and the police report, we show how the at-fault party breached their duty of care to you, putting you in harm’s way.
3. Establish causation:  Then, we show how their negligent actions directly caused your injuries.
4. Damages:  Finally, we prove that you had to cover certain losses, like medical expenses and days off work.

Proving negligence in another party strengthens your personal injury claim and holds reckless drivers responsible for their actions.

What Compensation Could You Receive After a Bus Accident Injury?

If you got hurt in a bus accident, you could be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damages. These include, but are not limited to:

• Medical bills from hospitalizations and surgeries
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Lost wages if you had to take off work because of your injuries
• Diminished capacity to earn
• Permanent disability
• Future care needs
• Emotional trauma that caused pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium, if your injuries negatively impact your relationship with your spouse or partner
• In fatal cases, wrongful death damages, like the burial costs of a loved one

Common Injuries Passengers Sustain in Bus Accidents

Bus accidents pose serious risks for passengers. Not only are these vehicles big and heavy (and therefore accident-prone), but they also rarely have seatbelts to protect passengers from major injuries in the face of a road crash.

Because of that, the injuries bus passengers sustain from collisions on the road are often serious and even fatal. Here are some of the common injuries victims face after a bus crash:

• Head trauma, such as brain injuries, concussions, and skull fractures
• Spinal cord injuries, which can sometimes lead to paralysis
• Injury to the organs, causing internal bleeding that is difficult to catch early on
• Neck injuries, such as whiplash, as a result of the sudden jerking motion during impact
• Cuts and lacerations from broken windows and crumpled metal parts
• Emotional trauma, causing depression, anxiety, and PTSD

What Causes Bus Collisions in Stockton?

Bus accidents can occur for a wide range of reasons, and they can happen to anyone. But most of the time, buses get into collisions because of one or more parties’ negligence and reckless driving. Here are just some of the common causes of bus crashes in Stockton:

• Distracted driving, like when the bus driver is engaging with passengers or adjusting vehicle controls instead of keeping their eyes on the road
• Violating traffic laws, like running a red light at an intersection, causing a collision with vehicles coming from other streets
• Speeding, which makes it difficult for bus drivers to stop their large vehicles in time
• Driver fatigue due to rendering longer hours of service for the bus company they work for
• Inexperienced drivers with no training
• Improper bus maintenance, leading to faulty breaks or engine failures
• Poorly maintained roads with dangerous obstructions, debris, potholes, and more
• Reckless third-party motorists and pedestrians on the road

Every bus accident is unique. To get a better grasp of your case, our Stockton bus accident lawyers first pinpoint what caused the crash. Then, we look through every piece of evidence to build a strong case for your claim.

Key Stockton Bus Laws Every Passenger Should Know

Stockton has certain rules in place to keep every passenger safe when they hop on a bus, whether it’s a school bus or a public transit bus. Our lawyers use their knowledge of these laws to build a winning legal strategy for your case. Here are some of them to keep in mind next time you ride a bus in Stockton.

Duty of Care as a Carriage Vehicle

According to California Civil Code § 2100, vehicles that transport passengers for payment, including transit buses, have a duty of care to every passenger. That means bus drivers owe their passengers the utmost level of care to keep them safe.

Bus Zones

The Stockton Code of Ordinances § 10.04.1010 states that the City Manager can set up bus zones in any area of the city, typically located on the far side of the road and marked with red-painted curbs. It is prohibited for any vehicle except for buses to stop, stand, or park in said bus zones. This local ordinance helps ensure that bus drivers can pick up and drop off passengers safely without the distraction of other vehicles idling in the same lane.

School Bus Safety

Stockton also follows state laws about school bus safety. For example, California Vehicle Code § 22454 requires any motorist behind a school bus to stop when the bus has its stop arm extended and flashes red lights. These indicate that the bus is loading or unloading children. No motorist is allowed to proceed until the bus is finished dropping off or picking up children, and the red lights and stop arm are no longer active.

If a vehicle illegally passes a school bus with these safety indicators turned on, the bus driver can report the third-party driver to the local police within 24 hours. Law enforcement will then send a warning letter to the violator.

Recent Bus Accidents in Stockton and What Caused Them

Many of the bus accidents that have happened recently in Stockton involve school buses. This could be because of the high volume of school routes every day, or frequent stops to pick up and drop off children before and after school hours.

For example, in March 2025, in a rural area just off Stockton, three students were injured in a school bus when it was rear-ended by a teenage girl driving a pickup truck. Authorities said the driver was traveling at 55 mph, which is very fast for a school zone or suburban area. To make matters worse, the bus was flashing its red lights and stop arm, indicating that it was loading or unloading children. That’s a direct violation of California’s laws on school bus safety.

Just one month later, another school bus crash occurred along E Mariposa Road in Stockton involving a pickup truck that slammed into the back of a bus and got lodged under its rear. Fortunately, no serious injuries were recorded, but because of the intensity of the impact on the bus, emergency responders evaluated every passenger.

Call the Police ASAP If You’ve Been Involved in a Bus Accident

If you’ve been involved in a bus accident, call 911 immediately to get help from the authorities. Seek assistance from the police so that they can properly document the scene of the accident, talk to all parties involved, and file an official police report. Your lawyer can use this report later to strengthen your case in court.

You can also contact the local police for non-emergency situations, like following up on the accident report or identifying the driver of a hit-and-run. For this, reach out to the Stockton Police Department by visiting the main station at 22 E Market St., Stockton, CA 95202, or calling them up at (209) 937-8377.

When Is the Deadline for Filing a Claim After a Bus Accident?

Stockton follows California’s statute of limitations for filing a claim after a bus accident. That means if you wish to make a claim for a personal injury, it should be within two years of the bus crash.

If you’re suing a government entity, such as the City of Stockton or the San Joaquin Regional Transit District, for an accident involving public transit, that deadline shortens to just six months after the date of the collision.

Should you miss the deadline for filing a claim, you could lose your rights to seek compensation for your injuries. We recommend acting as quickly as you can after sustaining injuries from a bus accident so you get a shot at obtaining maximum compensation for your losses. Our Stockton bus accident lawyers can stay on top of these deadlines for you so you don’t have to stress about missing them.

Don’t Talk to Insurance Companies Without a Lawyer

After you get into a bus accident, you might receive calls from the other party’s insurance provider. Always be wary when talking to insurance companies after a road crash, as they are known to use tactics to downplay your injuries and minimize your payout. Everything you say may be used against you, so make sure not to admit fault and to keep the details of the crash to a minimum.

To make sure insurance adjusters don’t take advantage of you, don’t talk to them without your lawyer present. Without legal counsel to guide you, you can be susceptible to accepting a payout lower than the compensation you deserve for your losses.

On the other hand, an experienced lawyer will aggressively negotiate with adjusters to make sure they don’t give you offers that are too low. Our attorneys at Thompson Law will work to maximize your compensation to make sure they can cover your medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma following the bus accident, and more. We won’t let them manipulate you, and we won’t stop advocating for your case until you get a payout you deserve.

Bus Injury? Let’s Get You the Financial Recovery You Deserve

Physically healing from a bus accident injury is hard enough. We don’t want you to have to bear the legal and financial burden alone. Our team of compassionate Stockton bus accident lawyers is ready to advocate for your rights in court and bring those responsible for your injuries to justice. We’ll help you estimate the true value of your personal injury claim and demand maximum compensation for you.

Leave the arduous legal paperwork, liaising with insurance companies, and negotiating a fair settlement to us. Your job is to rest and recover so you can reclaim your life from injury. Focus on healing, and we’ll handle the legal side to make sure you receive the compensation you are owed for your losses.

Want to learn more about what we can do to strengthen your bus accident claim? Contact us and book a FREE CASE REVIEW today!

FAQs About Bus Accidents in Stockton

What should I do immediately after a bus accident in Stockton?

Call 911 right after you get involved in a bus accident. This will get first responders like paramedics and the police to the scene. Get medical attention right away, even if you don’t think you have any serious injuries. Then, start gathering evidence, such as photos of the scene of the accident, witness information, and a copy of the police report when it’s available. Finally, contact a trusted, experienced bus accident lawyer to help you navigate your next legal steps.

What happens if I was partially at fault for the bus accident?

You can still receive compensation for your injuries even if you were partially to blame for the accident. Stockton follows California’s comparative negligence rule, which states that your total damages are reduced by the percentage of your fault in the accident. Say you were awarded $200,000 in damages. If you were found to be 25% at fault for the bus crash, that amount would be cut down by a quarter, and you would only go home with $150,000.

How much does it cost to hire a bus accident lawyer in Stockton?

Hiring our Stockton bus accident lawyers costs you nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we collect a small cut of your total damages or settlement. That means you only pay us if we win your case. If we don’t, then you owe us nothing; plain and simple.

Can I sue if my child was injured on a school bus?

Yes, you can sue the negligent parties on your child’s behalf if they were harmed in a school bus accident. Our lawyers can help you determine who to sue and bring to justice, whether it’s the bus company, the bus driver, or a third-party motorist. We’ll guide you through the process so you can get financial compensation to cover your child’s medical bills and other future needs.