# San Jose VTA Bus and Light-Rail Injury Claims Canonical: https://sanjosecacaraccidentlawyer.com/vta-transit-crashes/ Reviewed by Andrew Ronald Gillin; reviewed 2026-11-05. A VTA bus or light-rail injury can involve public-entity claim rules in addition to the ordinary questions about fault and harm. ## Public-entity claims after a VTA crash A government claim and a lawsuit are separate steps. Government Code section 911.2 addresses presenting certain claims. Section 945.6 addresses time to sue in the circumstances it covers. Do not treat a general two-year injury rule as permission to wait when a public agency may be involved. Sources: [Government Code §911.2 — Presenting a government claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2.); [Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 — Injury lawsuit period](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1.); [Government Code §945.6 — Time to sue a public entity](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=945.6.) ## VTA records and other evidence to request Keep route or vehicle information, tickets, photos, and correspondence. Note what you know about the operator and the agency without guessing. A lawyer needs to identify the proper defendant, the relevant dates, and any notice or rejection already sent before explaining the next step. Sources: [Government Code §911.2 — Presenting a government claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2.); [Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 — Injury lawsuit period](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1.); [Government Code §945.6 — Time to sue a public entity](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=945.6.) ## Questions about government claim deadlines For a useful review, keep the following information together. You do not need to enter it on this website. - The sequence of the crash and what you personally saw. - Report, witness, photo, and lawful video information. - Policies, coverage letters, and any release or offer you received. Sources: [Government Code §911.2 — Presenting a government claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2.); [Government Code §945.6 — Time to sue a public entity](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=945.6.) ## Court decisions about san jose vta bus and light-rail injury claims ### State of California v. Superior Court (Bodde) (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1234, slip op., p. 1. Before suing a public agency, a person may need to send it a formal claim. The court required the lawsuit to address that step or a valid excuse. Limits: This does not list every deadline. It does not excuse a late claim. [Read the opinion](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2004/s114171.html) ## Related resources - [California Car Accident Deadline Checklist](https://sanjosecacaraccidentlawyer.com/tools/deadline-checklist/) - [Santa Clara County Civil Court After a Car Accident](https://sanjosecacaraccidentlawyer.com/san-jose-guide/civil-court/) - [California Comparative Fault After a Car Accident](https://sanjosecacaraccidentlawyer.com/california-law/comparative-fault/) - [Contact GJEL About a San Jose Car Accident](https://sanjosecacaraccidentlawyer.com/contact/) ## Legal and agency sources - [Government Code §911.2 — Presenting a government claim](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2.) - [Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 — Injury lawsuit period](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1.) - [State of California v. Superior Court (Bodde) (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1234](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2004/s114171.html) - [Government Code §945.6 — Time to sue a public entity](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=945.6.) General information, not legal advice. Examples are hypothetical.