What To Do After a School Bus Accident in Texas

The call came mid-morning. Your child’s bus was in a crash near a stoplight off I-35 in Austin, and the school says everyone is “okay.” Your hands are shaking, and you don’t know who to call first or what you’re supposed to do in the next hour. The steps you take today can protect your child’s health and your family’s options later.

Get Your Child Medical Attention First

Get your child evaluated by a doctor today, even if they walked away looking fine. Adrenaline and shock can hide pain for hours after a crash, and children don’t always know how to describe what hurts.

Concussion, whiplash, and internal soft-tissue injuries are common after bus crashes and often surface a day or two later. National Safety Council data on school bus crashes shows these collisions result in thousands of injuries treated in emergency rooms each year — and school bus passengers, who are predominantly children, account for roughly a third of all people hurt in these crashes.

If an ambulance took your child from the scene, go straight to the emergency department. Do not wait for the school to call back before you leave.

Ask the treating provider to write down three things:

• The date of the visit
• How the injury happened
• Every finding — even a “no visible injury” note helps, because it ties the visit directly to the bus crash

That same-day record is one of the most valuable documents in any future injury claim, and an attorney who handles Texas bus accident cases can advise on next steps once your child is stable.

Notify the School & Document the Accident

Call the school’s main office and confirm the district has logged the incident. Ask for the name and direct contact information of the district’s transportation director.

Request the accident report number while you’re on the phone. Ask whether the district has already filed a report with local law enforcement. If no one has, file one yourself.

Then start documenting. Photos and written details fade from memory fast, and the district begins its own investigation within hours.

• Photograph your child’s visible injuries from several angles, including bruises that may darken later. Capture torn clothing and any damaged personal items that came off the bus.
• Save every medical and school document you receive, including discharge papers, text messages from the district, and the report number.
• Document the scene if you can reach it safely. Record bus damage, road conditions, and any skid marks before the area is cleared.

Be careful about what you say. Do not give a recorded statement to a school district representative or insurance adjuster on the day of the crash. Limit your responses to confirming your child’s identity and current medical status.

If the district’s insurer contacts you before you have spoken with an attorney about a bus accident claim, you are not required to speak with them.

Districts carry their own reporting duties, too. Under the Texas Education Code § 34.015, the district must report bus collisions to the Texas Education Agency each year, and you can request the records it filed.

Texas Legal Deadlines Parents Must Know

The deadlines for a school bus injury claim are far shorter than most parents expect. Two clocks can run at the same time with different deadlines, and missing the first one can end your case before it begins.

The Six-Month Governmental Notice Deadline

When a public school district operated the bus, you have only six months to file a written notice of your claim. The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code (CPRC) § 101.101 sets this rule, and it runs much shorter than the standard injury timeline.

Your written notice must describe the incident, the injury claimed, the time and place it happened, and your contact information. Miss this window, and you can lose the right to bring the claim at all.

The six-month window applies to claims against the school district itself. If another governmental entity — such as a city that maintains the road where the crash occurred — may share responsibility, a different notice deadline could apply. Some Texas cities require notice as quickly as 45 to 90 days due to a local ordinance. Confirm which entities may be involved in your claim as soon as possible, because missing any one notice deadline can bar that portion of your recovery.

The Two-Year Statute of Limitations

For crashes caused by someone other than the district, a two-year deadline usually applies. If a private bus contractor or another driver injured your child, CPRC § 16.003 gives you two years from the date of injury to file suit.

A separate rule offers parents some breathing room. CPRC § 16.001 pauses the two-year clock for a minor until the child turns 18, so the deadline does not start running right away.

That pause does not help against the school district. It does not extend the six-month notice deadline under CPRC § 101.101, so you cannot rely on it to preserve a claim against a public district.

Who May Be Liable for a Texas School Bus Crash

More than one party may be responsible for your child’s injuries, and that changes the entire claim. The answer depends on who operated the bus and what caused the crash.

A public school district usually holds governmental immunity. That protection falls away when a district employee injures someone while operating a motor vehicle on the job, which is exactly what a bus crash involves.

A private contractor hired to run the route is different. These companies are not government entities, so ordinary negligence rules apply and the damage caps under the Tort Claims Act do not limit what you can recover.

Another driver can carry the blame instead. A motorist who rear-ended the bus or ignored its stop signals may be liable alongside the district, or entirely on their own.

Sometimes the equipment is the problem. If the bus lacked required safety features like working signal lamps and mirrors under Texas Transportation Code § 547.701, a manufacturer or maintenance provider may share responsibility.

Preserve your evidence before you contact the district about fault. The district starts investigating the moment the crash is reported, and you want your own record in place first.

Contact an Attorney About Your Child’s School Bus Accident

The first few days after a school bus crash shape everything that follows, from your child’s recovery to the strength of any claim. Angel Reyes & Associates has represented Texas families in serious bus accident cases for over 30 years. Our consultations are free, and there is no fee unless we win, though clients remain responsible for case expenses. If you decide to move forward, you can meet the attorneys who handle these claims.

We have more than $1 billion recovered for clients across Texas, and you can read what our clients say about working with us. If you need help understanding your options after your child’s bus accident, reach out to us for a free consultation, available 24/7.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.