Catastrophic Injury · Common Carriers
California Bus & Common Carrier Accident Attorney
Civil representation for passengers and others seriously injured by buses, shuttles, charter and party buses, trains, and other common carriers across California.
Common carriers owe the highest duty of care California law knows.
The utmost duty of care
Under California Civil Code § 2100, a common carrier of persons for reward — buses, trains, shuttles, charter operators — must use the utmost care and diligence for passengers' safe carriage. That is a higher standard than ordinary negligence: carriers must do all that human care, vigilance, and foresight reasonably can do under the circumstances. Juries are instructed accordingly (CACI 902).
Cases we take
- Transit bus collisions and onboard falls from sudden movement
- Charter, tour, and party bus crashes
- School-transportation incidents
- Shuttle and paratransit injuries
- Train and light-rail incidents
- Pedestrians and motorists struck by buses
Suing a public transit agency is different
Many carriers are public entities — municipal transit districts, school districts, Amtrak-adjacent agencies. Claims against them run through the Government Claims Act, with a six-month claim-presentation deadline (Gov. Code § 911.2) before any lawsuit. See our government entity liability page. The clock is short; the time to call is now.
Why these cases support full recoveries
Commercial carriers carry substantial liability coverage, are regulated, and generate records — driver qualification files, maintenance histories, onboard video, telematics. A trial-ready workup that secures that evidence early changes the settlement conversation.
Request a Confidential Case Review
No obligation. Injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis.
Related Case Types
Important: This page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Submitting an inquiry does not create an attorney–client relationship; that relationship is formed only by a written agreement signed after we evaluate the matter for conflicts and merit. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Statutory citations are illustrative; the legal framework applicable to a specific case depends on the facts. The Law Offices of David L. Milligan, APC is licensed in California.