Billings, MontanaBillings Bus & Rideshare Accident
Billings Bus and Rideshare Accident Lawyers: MET Transit, School Bus, Charter Bus, Uber and Lyft Crashes
Boland Aarab PLLP.
If you were hurt in a MET Transit bus, a school bus, a charter bus or an Uber or Lyft in Billings, as a passenger, another driver or a pedestrian, you can usually recover from the driver and the organization behind the vehicle. Who that is decides the rules: city buses follow government-claim rules and caps, school buses may involve a private contractor, and rideshare trips follow Montana’s rideshare insurance statute.
Hurt on a bus, by a bus, or in an Uber or Lyft in Billings? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Who runs the buses in Billings?
MET Transit. Billings’ public bus system is operated by the City of Billings, from 1705 Monad Road. It runs fixed-route service and MET Plus, the city’s ADA paratransit service for eligible riders (City of Billings, MET Transit). Because the city runs it, a claim for a MET crash, a fall while boarding or a wheelchair-lift injury is a claim against a governmental entity.
Billings Public Schools buses. The district’s transportation page says First Student is its school bus contractor and “is responsible for hiring, training and supervising all school bus drivers and ensuring that bus schedules are run as the school district has designated” (Billings Public Schools). That matters. Under Montana’s Tort Claims Act, an independent contractor under contract to a governmental entity is not a government “employee” (§ 2-9-101(2)(b), MCA). A school bus crash in Billings may therefore involve claims against a private company and its insurer, and possibly the district, each under different rules. We read the contract and identify who owned the bus and employed the driver.
Charter and tour buses. Billings is a hub for team travel, school trips, event buses and summer tour traffic heading toward Yellowstone National Park and the Beartooth Highway. Interstate for-hire passenger carriers must follow federal safety rules and carry at least $5 million in coverage for buses seating 16 or more (49 C.F.R. § 387.33).
Uber and Lyft. Rideshare drivers work the airport, downtown, MetraPark events and the hospital corridor. Montana calls these companies “transportation network carriers” and sets the insurance by the driver’s app status (§ 69-12-343, MCA).
What happens after a bus or rideshare crash in Billings?
- Get medical care. Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Regional Hospital are the region’s two Level 1 / Comprehensive Trauma Centers (DPHHS list).
- Get the police report. Most crashes in the city are handled by the Billings Police Department.
- Write down the bus number, route and time, or screenshot the rideshare trip, the driver’s name and the vehicle.
- Ask that video be preserved. Buses carry on-board cameras, and public entities and contractors keep footage only for limited periods. We send written preservation demands right away.
- Present the claim in writing to the right body. A claim against the City of Billings or a school district must be presented to its clerk or secretary (§ 2-9-301(3), MCA).
- Do not give a recorded statement to a bus company’s or rideshare insurer before talking with a lawyer.
A lawsuit is filed in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court at the Yellowstone County Courthouse, 217 North 27th Street (§ 3-5-101, MCA). Out-of-state charter companies, national school-bus contractors and rideshare insurers may remove cases to the Billings Division of federal court at the James F. Battin Federal Courthouse (District of Montana).
What insurance applies to an Uber or Lyft crash in Billings?
| Driver’s app status | Minimum coverage under § 69-12-343 |
|---|
| App off | The driver’s personal auto policy governs |
| Logged on, waiting for a ride | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per incident bodily injury, $25,000 property damage, plus UM where required |
| On a prearranged ride | At least $1,000,000 for death, bodily injury and property damage, plus UM where required |
If the driver’s coverage has lapsed, the company’s insurer must provide coverage from the first dollar and defend the claim (§ 69-12-343(4)). Rideshare insurers often dispute app status, so we request the trip and app data early.
Montana law that applies
- Government claims: presentation to the clerk or secretary (§ 2-9-301(3)); damages caps of $750,000 per claim and $1.5 million per occurrence (§ 2-9-108, MCA); no punitive damages against governmental entities (§ 2-9-105, MCA).
- School bus stops: drivers from both directions must stop about 30 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights (§ 61-8-351, MCA).
- Charter buses: federal insurance and hours-of-service rules (49 C.F.R. § 395.5).
- Deadline: generally 3 years (§ 27-2-204, MCA), but present government claims early.
Our Montana bus and rideshare accident page has more on each type of carrier.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Billings case?
Bus and rideshare cases involve cities, school districts, national contractors and corporate insurers, each with its own rules. We are based in Great Falls and handle these cases statewide. Our attorneys travel to Billings for depositions, hearings and trial, and our firm has tried jury trials in Yellowstone County, including against public bodies elsewhere in Montana. We do not have a Billings office.
The Boland Aarab Way
- We hold public bodies accountable. We obtained a $115,000 net jury verdict in a municipal negligence case (Jack v. City of White Sulphur Springs).
- We protect verdicts. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated a $168,500 jury verdict for our client in a rear-end crash case (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137).
- We try cases. More than a dozen jury trials, in Cascade, Phillips, Meagher and Yellowstone Counties, and more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- We know federal court. More than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years.
Related Billings pages: pedestrian accidents · car accidents · all Billings personal injury cases
Frequently Asked Questions
I fell when a MET bus pulled away before I sat down. Do I have a claim? Possibly, if the driver was careless. MET is run by the City of Billings, so the claim must be presented in writing to the city first, and government damages caps apply.
Who is responsible for a Billings Public Schools bus crash? Often the district’s bus contractor, First Student, which hires and supervises the drivers, and possibly the district. We identify every responsible party and the rules for each.
A driver passed a stopped school bus and hit my child. Who pays? Usually the passing driver and that driver’s insurer. Montana requires drivers from both directions to stop about 30 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights (§ 61-8-351, MCA).
My Uber driver crashed on the way from the Billings airport. How much coverage is there? During a prearranged ride, at least $1,000,000 in primary coverage (§ 69-12-343, MCA).
How long do I have to file a claim against the City of Billings? The general deadline is 3 years, but the claim must first be presented to the city in writing (§ 2-9-301, MCA). Present it as early as possible.
Talk to a Billings Bus and Rideshare Accident Lawyer
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Our attorneys: Caitlin Boland Aarab · Samir F. Aarab
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
