A bus crash can leave you with pain, mounting medical bills, and hard questions about who will help you. If you were hurt as a passenger, a pedestrian, or another driver, the Michigan bus accident lawyers at Christensen Law are here to listen to your story, protect your rights, and pursue the full recovery you deserve.
For more than 35 years, we have stood beside injured people and grieving families across the state, from Detroit and Southfield to Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and the Upper Peninsula. We built our firm around three simple promises to every client we serve: Listen, Protect, Win.
A bus wreck has a lot in common with any serious Michigan car accident claim, yet transit, charter, and school bus cases carry added rules that catch injured people off guard. Our results reflect our commitment, including a $17.8 million motor vehicle verdict and a $9.5 million recovery, and our firm’s founder, David Christensen, is a Michigan Hall of Fame trial attorney.
Call us 24/7 at (248) 213-4900 for a free, no-risk consultation.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
Who Is Liable in a Michigan Bus Accident?
Liability in a Michigan bus accident can rest with more than one party, including the bus driver, the company or public agency that owns the bus, a maintenance provider, or another negligent motorist. Sorting out who is responsible is one of the first and most important steps in any Michigan bus injury claim.
Buses are treated as common carriers, which means the people and entities that operate them owe passengers a very high degree of care. When that duty is broken, and someone is hurt, we work quickly to identify every party that shares the blame.
Bus crashes rarely have a single, simple cause. A tired driver, a poorly maintained fleet, and a rushed schedule can combine on a crowded route like Woodward Avenue or a fast stretch of highway, and each of those failures can point to a different responsible party. We untangle those threads so no at-fault party is left off the hook.
Depending on how your crash happened, the responsible parties may include:
- The bus driver, if distraction, fatigue, speeding, or an unsafe turn contributed to the crash
- The transit agency, charter company, or school district that owns and operates the bus
- A separate motorist whose negligence forced the collision
- A company responsible for maintaining or repairing the bus and its brakes, tires, or steering
- An employer that put an untrained or unfit driver behind the wheel
Because several insurers and lawyers may point fingers at one another, we investigate right away to preserve black box data, driver logs, and onboard video before that evidence disappears. Identifying the right defendants early protects the value of your case.
Types of Bus Accidents We Handle Across Michigan
We handle the full range of bus crashes that happen on Michigan roads, from city transit collisions to charter and school bus wrecks. No matter which type of bus was involved, our team knows how the rules shift from one situation to the next.
Our Michigan bus accident lawyers regularly help people hurt in:
- Public transit bus crashes, including DDOT and SMART buses in metro Detroit, The Rapid in Grand Rapids, and TheRide in Ann Arbor
- Charter and tour bus collisions on busy corridors like I-75, I-94, and I-96
- School bus accidents involving districts and private contractors
- Intercity carrier crashes on long-haul routes through Michigan
- Pedestrians and bicyclists struck by a bus at a stop, crosswalk, or intersection
Each of these scenarios raises its own questions about insurance, immunity, and deadlines. We tailor our approach to the facts of your crash, wherever in Michigan it happened.
How Does Michigan No-Fault Insurance Apply to Bus Passengers?
If you were injured on a Michigan bus, your first source of benefits is often your own auto insurance rather than the bus company, because of a special rule in Michigan’s No-Fault Act. This surprises many riders, so it is worth understanding before you file anything.
Michigan No-Fault provides Personal Injury Protection, known as PIP, which pays your medical bills, a portion of your lost wages, and attendant care no matter who caused the crash. These first-party benefits are meant to get you care and income support without waiting for a fault fight to finish.
Under MCL 500.3114, a passenger on a public transit bus, a school bus, a certified common-carrier bus, a government-sponsored bus, or a nonprofit bus must first look to their own policy, then a spouse’s policy, then the policy of a resident relative. Only when no such coverage exists does the bus’s own insurer or the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan step in.
The rule works differently for many private charter and tour buses, where the bus’s insurer often pays first. We frequently see passengers wrongly told that the transit agency will simply cover everything, and getting this priority wrong can delay your Michigan No-Fault benefits for months.
Special Rules Apply to Public Transit Bus Claims
When a public bus is involved, you are dealing with a government agency, and that changes both the deadlines and the path to compensation. If you were injured on a public transit bus in Michigan, the ordinary rules do not tell the whole story.
Government agencies are generally protected by governmental immunity, which shields them from many lawsuits. Michigan law includes a key exception, though: under MCL 691.1405, an agency can be held liable for bodily injury caused by the negligent operation of a government-owned vehicle, including a city bus.
The catch is timing. Claims against a public agency carry strict notice deadlines that can be far shorter than the standard window for a private crash, and claims against the State of Michigan run through the Court of Claims under MCL 600.6431. Municipal transit authorities often set their own notice requirements as well.
A notice against a government agency is not just a quick phone call, either. It usually must be in writing, sent to the correct office, and describe the injury and the crash with enough detail to satisfy the statute. A vague or misdirected notice can be treated as no notice at all.
Missing one of these notice deadlines can end a strong case before it truly begins. In our cases against transit agencies, we calendar every government notice deadline the moment we open the file, so nothing slips through.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Michigan Bus Crash?
You may recover No-Fault PIP benefits for medical care and lost income, and in serious cases, additional money for pain and suffering from the at-fault party. The right mix depends on how badly you were hurt and who was responsible.
A Michigan bus injury claim may include recovery for:
- Reasonable medical treatment, hospital stays, and future care
- Up to 85 percent of lost wages, subject to statutory limits
- Attendant care and replacement services for tasks you can no longer do
- Pain, suffering, and other non-economic harm through a third-party claim
To seek pain and suffering from an at-fault driver, your injuries must cross the serious impairment threshold in MCL 500.3135, which covers an impairment of an important body function that affects your general ability to live your life. We build the medical proof needed to meet that standard.
Michigan also follows a modified comparative fault rule. Under MCL 600.2959, you can still recover even if you were partly to blame, as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault, though your award is reduced by your share of responsibility.
For families who have lost a loved one in a bus crash, a wrongful death claim is never about money for its own sake. It is about accountability and securing the resources a family needs to move forward after a devastating loss.
Deadlines move fast. You generally must apply for PIP benefits within one year under MCL 500.3145, and most injury lawsuits must be filed within three years, with government claims often much sooner. Talking with us early keeps every option open.
I recommend all of my friends and family to Christensen Law. The attorneys and staff there are amazing and really care about their clients where you're treated with care and not...
Jason Waddell
Excellent! From the 1st interaction with Christensen Law it was a positive, wonderful experience! Dustin, Samantha and the entire staff, had...
Susan Schroeder
Christensen Law’s attorneys are filled with compassion and knowledge They took amazing care of my uncle after his accident. I would recommend then to anyone injured in an auto...
Steve Huber
The team at Christensen Law impressed me with their vast knowledge and experience in handling... They were well-versed in the intricacies of the law and provided me with clear explanations of my rights and legal...
Shana Goodrich
It is with extreme gratitude and positive emotions that I write about my relationship with... I presented to them a situation that was quite scary and financially overwhelming. David and his kind staff listened to...
Wendy Henn
If it wasn't for Christensen Law, I don't know where I would be today. Thanks to Dave, Stephanie, and Michelle for getting me through this hard time. I didn't know what to do, I...
Tim Taylor
My name is Erin, my experience with Christensen Law was Overwhelming… But in the very... Christianson Law stepped in after my motorcycle accident when another firm had dropped the ball—and they completely and very quickly...
Erin Magee
I hired this law firm after being hit by a drunk driver in my of... They were communicative, compassionate, made the process easy for me to understand. I was able to effectively receive a size-able...
Wren Bell
From the moment I spoke with Dustin, I felt like I was in good hands He, Samantha, and the entire staff at Christensen Law treated me like family, demonstrating kindness, expertise, and a genuine interest...
Janelle Garza
I am extremely pleased with the experience I had with this law firm, and their... The Christensen Law firm, compassionate approach to my injuries. Their attentive listening, and thorough understanding are truly commendable I highly...
Mr. Douglas
I was in difficult time in my life, it’s a great to know I have... Whole team of Christensen law is amazing and wonderful from start to finish. They often contact me to see how...
Amandeep Sohal
I had an excellent experience working with Christensen Law on my settlement case. From start to finish, the entire team was professional, compassionate, and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for me....
Gjon Ivezaj
Why Choose Christensen Law for Your Michigan Bus Injury Claim?
Injured people across Michigan choose us because we treat clients like family and prepare every case as though it will go to trial. We are not a volume settlement mill, and we do not accept lowball offers that leave you short.
Insurance companies know which firms are willing to stand up in court and which are not. Our record of taking cases the distance gives our clients real leverage at the negotiating table, and it is a big part of how we recover full value rather than a quick discount.
Our credentials reflect decades of courtroom results. Founder David Christensen is a Michigan Hall of Fame trial attorney, a member of ABOTA, and holds AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell, while managing partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized Leader in the Law and also an ABOTA member.
As Sarah Stempky-Kime explains, we like to let the treatment team do the talking and let the defendants dig their own hole. That patient, evidence-driven approach has helped us secure results like a $17.8 million verdict and a $9.5 million recovery for injured clients.
When you work with us, you get:
- Trial-ready advocates who are not afraid of the courtroom
- A 4.9 to 5.0 review rating across our Michigan offices
- Free consultations 24/7, with no fee unless we win
Advocating for clients since 1991, we put your recovery first at every step. Call Christensen Law today to put our experience to work for you.
FAQs Answered by a Bus Accident Lawyer in Michigan
Below, we answer some of the questions injured Michigan bus riders and their families ask us most.
[/lex_faq_block]
How much does it cost to hire a Michigan bus accident attorney?
There is no upfront cost to hire us. We work on a contingency fee, which means you pay nothing unless we recover money for you, and your first consultation is always free. This lets injured people get strong representation without worrying about legal bills while they heal.
What should I do if a bus hit me while I was walking in Michigan?
Pedestrians struck by a bus are often entitled to No-Fault benefits, even though they were not in a vehicle. Under MCL 500.3115, a person hit while on foot generally turns to their own auto policy or a resident relative’s policy, or to the Assigned Claims Plan if none exists. We help injured pedestrians find the right source of benefits and pursue the at-fault party.
Can I bring a claim after a school bus accident in Michigan?
Yes, families can pursue claims after a school bus crash, though these cases involve special rules. A school district, a private busing contractor, or another driver may share responsibility, and No-Fault benefits still apply to the children and adults who were hurt. Because districts are often government entities, acting quickly to meet notice deadlines is important.
What if the bus driver claims the crash was not their fault?
Disputed fault is common, and it does not have to defeat your claim. We investigate the crash with black box data, onboard video, maintenance records, and witness accounts to show what really happened. Even if you are found partly at fault, Michigan law may still allow you to recover, as long as you were not more than half responsible.
How soon should I call a lawyer after a Michigan bus accident?
As soon as possible, because critical deadlines start running the day of the crash. Government notice periods can be very short, PIP applications are due within one year, and evidence like video and vehicle data can be lost within days. Calling early gives us the strongest chance to protect both your health and your claim.
Do I need a Michigan bus injury attorney for a minor injury?
It is worth a conversation even when an injury seems minor at first. Insurance companies often downplay claims, and some serious injuries, including concussions and soft-tissue damage, take time to reveal themselves. A free consultation with a Michigan bus injury attorney costs you nothing and helps you understand your options.
Should I accept a quick settlement offer from the bus company’s insurer?
Be cautious before signing anything. An early offer often arrives before you know the true cost of your injuries, and once you accept, you usually cannot ask for more later. We review any offer against the full value of your medical care, lost income, and long-term needs, so you can make an informed choice rather than a rushed one.
[/lex_faq_block]
Talk to Our Michigan Bus Accident Lawyers Today
You do not have to face the insurance companies alone. Our Michigan bus accident lawyers are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and fight for the justice and compensation you and your family deserve.
Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP, Christensen Law offers free, no-risk consultations 24/7. Call us today at (248) 213-4900 to speak with our team and take the first step toward recovery.
Listen, Protect, Win. It’s what we do.
