Bozeman, MontanaBozeman Bus and Rideshare Accident
Bozeman Bus and Rideshare Accident Lawyers: Streamline, Skyline, School Bus, Tour Bus, Uber and Lyft Crashes
Boland Aarab PLLP.
If you were hurt in a bus or rideshare crash in Bozeman, as a passenger, another driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian, you can usually recover from the driver and the organization behind it. Who that is decides the rules: public bodies follow government claim rules and caps, tour buses follow federal safety rules, and Uber and Lyft follow Montana’s rideshare insurance statute.
Hurt on a bus, by a bus, or in an Uber or Lyft in the Gallatin Valley? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
What buses and rideshare services run around Bozeman, and who is behind each one?
The Gallatin Valley has more kinds of passenger service than most Montana communities its size, and each has a different operator:
- Streamline. Bozeman’s zero-fare bus system is “a program of HRDC,” a nonprofit. It runs in-town routes serving Montana State University and neighborhoods, a Belgrade commuter route, a seasonal Livingston route over Bozeman Pass, and a shuttle to Bridger Bowl (Streamline).
- Skyline. Service within Big Sky and the “Link” between Big Sky and Bozeman through Gallatin Canyon are governed by the Big Sky Transportation District (Skyline).
- School buses for Bozeman, Belgrade and the valley’s other districts, run either by the district or by a private contractor.
- Tour, charter and shuttle buses, including hotel and airport shuttles at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, resort shuttles at Big Sky, and summer tour coaches bound for Yellowstone National Park through West Yellowstone.
- Uber and Lyft, which serve the airport, downtown and MSU, and carry many visitors to Big Sky.
Because Streamline is operated by a nonprofit while Skyline is governed by a public district, the claim rules for two buses on the same street can be quite different. We find out who owned the bus, who employed the driver and what any operating contract says before any deadline runs.
What happens after a bus or rideshare crash in Bozeman?
Police and records. The Bozeman Police Department handles crashes in the city, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office the unincorporated county, and the Montana Highway Patrol I-90, U.S. 191 and the other highways. Reports for city and county cases come from Gallatin County Support Services/Records (gallatinmt.gov).
Video and data. Transit and school buses usually have on-board cameras, and rideshare apps record the trip and the driver’s app status. Both can be overwritten or become hard to get. We send preservation demands immediately.
Care. Serious injuries go to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, the area’s ACS Level 3 / State Area Trauma Hospital; a crash on the canyon road near Big Sky may be seen first at Big Sky Medical Center (DPHHS, Nov. 2025).
Claims against public bodies. If a school district, a city or another political subdivision is responsible, the claim must be presented to its clerk or secretary (§ 2-9-301, MCA).
The court. Lawsuits are filed in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center, 515 South 16th Avenue, Bozeman (§ 3-5-101, MCA). A tour-bus company or rideshare insurer from another state may remove the case to the federal court’s Butte Division (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2).
Montana law that applies
Our Montana bus and rideshare accident lawyer page explains these rules in more detail. In brief:
- Government operators. Claims must be presented in writing first (§ 2-9-301). Damages are capped at $750,000 per claim and $1.5 million per occurrence (§ 2-9-108, MCA), and there are no punitive damages (§ 2-9-105, MCA). A private contractor under contract with a public body is not its “employee” (§ 2-9-101, MCA).
- Stopped school buses. Drivers from either direction must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights (§ 61-8-351, MCA).
- Interstate charter and tour buses must carry at least $5 million in coverage for vehicles seating 16 or more (49 C.F.R. § 387.33) and follow passenger-carrier hours-of-service limits (49 C.F.R. § 395.5).
- Uber and Lyft. During a prearranged ride, at least $1,000,000 in primary coverage; while logged on and waiting, $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 (§ 69-12-343, MCA).
- 3 years for most injury claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
What local hazards come up in Bozeman bus and rideshare cases?
- Winter braking. Buses stopping and starting on icy streets throw standing passengers; riders fall on slick steps at stops.
- Bozeman Pass and Gallatin Canyon. The Livingston route crosses Bozeman Pass on I-90, and the Big Sky Link runs through the canyon on U.S. 191, both roads with winter wind, snow and wildlife.
- Crowded stops near MSU. Pedestrians and cyclists crossing near busy stops and the campus.
- Visitors in rideshares. Airport and resort trips at night and in snow, where the driver’s app status at the moment of the crash decides which coverage applies.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Bozeman case?
Bus and rideshare cases can involve a public-claim deadline, a federal carrier, a rideshare insurer that disputes app status, or all three. We are based in Great Falls, handle cases across Montana, and our attorneys travel to Bozeman and Butte for depositions, hearings and trial. We do not have a Bozeman office.
The Boland Aarab Way
- Claims against public entities. A jury returned a $115,000 net verdict for our client in a municipal negligence case (Jack v. City of White Sulphur Springs).
- Trial-ready. Our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- Federal court experience. More than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years.
- You work with the lawyers. Caitlin Boland Aarab and Samir Aarab handle your case themselves.
We also handle pedestrian accident cases in Bozeman and car accident cases in Bozeman. See our Bozeman personal injury page for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
I was hurt on a Streamline bus. Is that a claim against the City of Bozeman? Not necessarily. Streamline is a program of HRDC, a nonprofit, so the responsible party and the rules depend on who owned the bus, who employed the driver and any contracts behind the service. We sort that out first.
I was injured on the Skyline bus between Bozeman and Big Sky. What rules apply? Skyline is governed by the Big Sky Transportation District. If a public body is responsible, the claim must be presented in writing and Montana’s damages caps apply.
My Uber to Big Sky crashed in Gallatin Canyon. Whose insurance pays? As a passenger on a prearranged ride, Montana requires at least $1,000,000 in primary coverage. The rideshare company’s records show the driver’s app status.
A car passed a stopped school bus in Belgrade and hit my child. Who is responsible? Primarily the driver, who was required to stop for the bus’s flashing red lights. The bus operator may share responsibility if it chose an unsafe stop or failed to follow procedures.
How long do I have after a bus crash in Bozeman? Generally three years for an injury claim, but a claim against a public body must first be presented in writing. Video can be lost much sooner, so call promptly.
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
