Accidents in a bus can be devastating in New York City and thus the people who are affected may be seriously injured with medical bills piling up and a very uncertain future. You came to get hit in an MTA bus, in a private tour bus, or in a school bus, but getting the right legal representation is the key to receiving damages that you warrant. Lawyers of New York, who are dealing with bus accidents, are experts in the legislation of transport and goods transport.
New York has the finest bus accident attorneys that have a lot of experience in taking up cases involving both the private carriers and those that are run by the government. These senior lawyers know the peculiarities of bus accident cases, how to find out the liability, how to negotiate with the government and big insurance firms. This is one of the most detailed guides in which we will find out the top bus accident lawyers in New York 2026 and this will guide you in making the right decision when choosing the expert to handle your case.
Why Bus Accident Cases Are Different from Car Accidents
- Several parties in question: Transit authorities and private companies, manufacturers as well as other drivers are usually involved in bus accidents; this complicates the issue of liability.
- The rules of government immunity: MTA and public buses enjoy the benefits of special notice requirements and reduced filing deadlines.
- Common carrier liability: Buses have more legal limitations towards passengers as they have a greater duty of care than ordinary drivers.
- High capacity of the passenger: Accidents may consist of dozens of victims with injuries, which can result in complex multi-party litigation and claims.
- Complicated rules: There are federal and state transportation statutes that will regulate the operations of the bus which will need expertise in the field of law.
- Higher insurance cover: Commercial buses are exposed to bigger coverage limits, yet the insurers struggle to scale back on compensation.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in New York
- Driver negligence: Driving too fast, distracted driving, exhaustion and inability to use traffic lights are the major causes of accidents.
- Poor maintenance: Brake failures, tire bursts and mechanical faults as a result of bad vehicle checks and maintenance.
- Poor training: Untrained and uncertified bus drivers might not be able to drive big buses safely.
- Road conditions: Potholes, road constructions, and bad weather with the size of the bus make the situations dangerous.
- Overcrowding: The presence of too many passengers in aisles exposes them to injuries in case of sudden stops or collisions.
- Third-party negligence: Buses may be cut off by other motorists, run red lights, or lead to a pile-up of vehicles.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Liability in bus accident cases should be done through comprehensive investigation and legal skills. Bus accident lawyers in New York who need to investigate various possible defendants. The bus driver might be responsible for reckless or negligent operation including breaking the laws of traffic or driving under the influence. The bus company or transit authority might be liable to negligent hiring, lack of proper training or neglect of maintaining the vehicles.
The vehicle manufacturers may be responsible in case the crash was caused due to faults in the parts such as brakes or steering systems. Also, other drivers that hit the road breaking traffic rules or behaving carelessly might be co-faults. In other instances, the government departments that maintain roads may be held to be in dangerous conditions. Your lawyer will explore every possible avenue in order to uncover all the at-fault parties and get you as much as possible.
Explore List of top Law Firms in New York
What Compensation Can Victims Recover?
New York accident victims on highways who are in buses could be awarded huge compensations on damages of all sorts. The bus accident lawyers in New York struggle to be compensated for medical expenses such as emergency treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation, and future medical care. Lost wages and loss of earning capacity are computed due to the time lost at work and loss of earning capacity. Compensation of pain and suffering covers physical pain, suffering, and deteriorated life quality.
Reimbursement on property damage includes reimbursement on personal items lost or damaged during the incident. When there is a permanent disability, the victims can be compensated on long term care and home modification. The punitive damages can be delivered in case the gross negligence or deliberate misconduct is established. Wrongful death claims enable families to compensate funeral expenses, loss of livelihood and companionship.
How a New York Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help
- Comprehensive research: Lawyers collect evidence, such as surveillance video and black box data, eyewitness accounts, and accident reconstruction evidence.
- Get complicated paperwork done: Lawyers take care of every legal filing, every piece of notice, and all the paperwork, and all you do is recover.
- Bargain with insurers: Experienced lawyers counter lowball deals and bully tactics of insurance companies.
- Evidence of liability: Legal professionals enlist the services of professionals to prove guilt and prove the scope of negligence.
- Determine the actual damages: Attorneys examine the present and forthcoming expenses to make sure that all your needs are met during the settlements.
- Trial representation: When settlements cannot be achieved, professional litigators should persuade the jury with strong arguments to get the highest court verdicts.
10 Best Bus Accident Lawyers in New York 2026
1. Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf
Overall Exp: Over 100 years experience
Customer Ratings: 4.9/5
This is the century-old iconic firm, established in New York in 1919 and has been a powerhouse in the personal injury litigation business. They are known to deal with high-stakes bus accidents and medical malpractice cases with the assistance of a multidisciplinary team of medical doctors, engineers and forensic experts. They have a strict case screening process which guarantees them only the best representation. This discriminatory methodology, coupled with vigorous litigation tactics has seen cumulative settlements and verdicts of more than $5 billion to injured clients in the state of New York.
Key Services:
- MTA bus accidents
- Medical malpractice litigation
- Construction site injuries
- Mass tort disasters
Awards and Achievements: 2025 #1 Metro Super Lawyer
Top Clients: Pedestrians, tourists, city workers
Website: http://gairgair.com
Address: 80 Pine St, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10005
Contact No: (212) 943-1090
2. Block O’Toole & Murphy
Overall Exp: Over 35 years experience
Customer Ratings: 4.4/5
Black O Toole and Murphy have received acclaim as among the highest rated personal injury settlement firms in the city of New York with a history of catastrophic road and construction accident injuries. After more than 35 years of continuous service, their aggressive litigation method and unrelenting service to the client have led to more than $2 billion overall recoveries. The company has won historic cases in negligence on behalf of the victims in all the five boroughs and has had remarkable results even in the most complicated situations involving bus accidents and serious injuries and litigated liability.
Key Services:
- Commercial vehicle collisions
- School bus accidents
- Wrongful death actions
- Worker injury claims
Awards and Achievements: Over $2 billion recovered
Top Clients: Construction workers, accident victims
Website: http://blockotoole.com
Address: 1 Penn Plaza, Suite 4850, New York, NY 10119
Contact No: (212) 736-5300
3. The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C.
Overall Exp: Over 40 years experience
Customer Ratings: 4.8/5
This is a well-respected company that has served its exemplary reputation in the last 40 years due to its relentless advocacy and thorough preparation of cases in hard personal injury issues. They are experts in road accidents and construction site accidents, which is a holistic practical method that explores all potential legal fronts. Their lawyers spare no rocket science when seeking optimum payouts to medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and misery. Their trial preparedness and readiness to engage in a fight with insurers in court make them a very powerful opposition as they have always been able to deliver fantastic results to their injured clients.
Key Services:
- Transit authority litigation
- Workers’ compensation claims
- Severe auto accidents
- Premises liability cases
Awards and Achievements: Top 5% nationwide excellence
Top Clients: Union workers, injured passengers
Website: http://perecman.com
Address: 250 W 57th St, Suite 401, New York, NY 10107
Contact No: (212) 977-7033
4. Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, P.C.
Overall Exp: Over 30 years experience
Customer Ratings: 4.8/5
This prestigious firm is an official winner of the Best Law Firm in New York City according to the Best Lawyers, and it is a firm that focuses on helping the victims of the transit accidents, bus passengers and pedestrians. Having specialized experience of more than 30 years, they have collected over $1 billion dollars in accident victims across New York. The company has advanced technology of accident reconstruction and collaborates with engineering professionals to demonstrate negligence and create liability. They are especially adept at dodging the legal mazes and notice provision requirements that pertain to accidents of public transportation and claims of the MTA.
Key Services:
- MTA collision claims
- Private tour-bus litigation
- Pedestrian injury lawsuits
- Brain injury cases
Awards and Achievements: Best Law Firm NYC award
Top Clients: Brooklyn, Manhattan accident victims
Website: http://raphaelsonlaw.com
Address: 14 Penn Plaza, Suite 1718, New York, NY 10122
Contact No: (212) 268-3222
5. Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C.
Overall Exp: Over 40 years experience
Customer Ratings: 4.9/5
This firm has a history of more than 40 years of uninterrupted service to victims of bus accidents, showing a strong determination to even the score by ensuring accessible justice. They have a multidisciplinary team of forensic engineers and neurologists as well as medical specialists who give expert testimony and case analysis. The company gained national prominence after it brought a settlement of unprecedented $6.75 million to a pedestrian in an accident caused by an MTA bus. Their long-term care and short-term financial needs approach covers both the short-term and long-term requirements of the clients such as the needs of their medical treatment and compensation of medical treatment expenses in the future.
Key Services:
- Public transit accidents
- Serious orthopedic injuries
- Medical malpractice claims
- Wrongful death suits
Awards and Achievements: Over $1 billion recovered
Top Clients: Seriously injured New Yorkers
Website: http://lawyertime.com
Address: 111 Broadway, Suite 2501, New York, NY 10006
Contact No: (212) 385-4410
6. Shim Law Group P.C.
Overall Exp: Expert in 2026 laws
Customer Ratings: 4.8/5
Shim Law Group has gained immense reputation in 2026 owing to the up-to-date expertise in the most recent New York transportation laws and regulations in bus crash claims. They offer indeed client oriented services to people who have experienced catastrophic injuries, where the attorneys are willing to take time to know the various circumstances of different clients. Their legal department carries out meticulous, advanced investigation on the facts of accidents, the service history of vehicles and the history of drivers to develop airtight cases. They are fierce in their battles with insurance company stalling tactics and low settlement bids, and the victims of commercial vehicle and bus accidents are fully compensated.
Key Services:
- Truck and bus settlements
- Catastrophic injury claims
- Insurance dispute resolution
- Commercial vehicle accidents
Awards and Achievements: Top-rated 2026 legal firm
Top Clients: Commercial accident victims
Website: http://shimlawgroup.com
Address: 445 Park Ave, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Contact No: +17188781177
7. Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel, LLC
Overall Exp: Decades of legal experience
Customer Ratings: 4.9/5
This firm, headed by a nationally acclaimed Top 100 Trial Lawyer, is using the special insider information obtained through their other years of experience working on insurance defense to cause bypass of more accident victims. This point of view enables them to foresee and prevent strategies of insurance companies. They have specialized in achieving high-value settlements and verdicts through careful attention to each detail of bus crash investigations, including the accident scene analysis, to interviewing witnesses. They mainly aim at holding those guilty parties to book in order to give customers humane advice to guide them through the complicated legal and recovery journey.
Key Services:
- Accident cause investigation
- Insurance negotiation tactics
- Severe spinal injuries
- Brooklyn transit claims
Awards and Achievements: Top 100 Trial Lawyer
Top Clients: Individual injury victims
Website: http://jknylaw.com
Address: 450 7th Ave, Suite 1605, New York, NY 10123
Contact No: (212) 564-2800
8. Hach & Rose Law Firm
Overall Exp: Reliable personal injury support
Customer Ratings: 4.8/5
Hach Rose is a reputed company that has earned a reputation of being extremely aggressive in dealing with insurance companies that seek to pay small amounts of money or reject legitimate claims. They are dealing with a full spectrum of personal injury cases with special emphasis on those ones in which negligence has caused life-altering injuries that need a long period of medical treatment. Their team of lawyers has received regular accolades about how they are very communicative thus making their clients aware of the proceedings of the law. They exhibit great capacity of achieving large settlements even in highly challenging road accident cases with contested liability and a large number of parties.
Key Services:
- Car and bus crashes
- Unsafe workplace litigation
- General liability claims
- Serious injury recovery
Awards and Achievements: Millions recovered for clients
Top Clients: Injured workers, commuters
Website: http://unionlawyer.com
Address: 112 Madison Ave, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Contact No: (212) 779-0057
9. Mirman, Markovits & Landau, PC
Overall Exp: Since 1977 experience
Customer Ratings: 4.8/5
This illustrious company has a history of over 50 years since inception in 1977 and has created a remarkable history of delivering financial recovery to the greatest number of accident victims in the five boroughs of New York. They have also managed to successfully close several high-profile bus-related cases such as winning huge verdicts to injured children and pedestrians who were hit by transit vehicles. The company is well recognized in offering highly personalized services per case, and clients are treated as family members instead of as case numbers. They have easy accessibility to clients in all the boroughs and the neighboring counties such as Westchester and Nassau.
Key Services:
- Public bus accidents
- Pedestrian hit-and-runs
- Child injury claims
- MTA liability suits
Awards and Achievements: $1.76M bus accident verdict
Top Clients: Bronx, Brooklyn residents
Website: https://mirmanlawyers.com/
Address: 291 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10007
Contact No: (212) 227-4000
10. Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP
Overall Exp: Decades of transit experience
Customer Ratings: 4.9/5
This is a highly specialized boutique firm that has been very successful in advanced litigation against transit authorities and government bodies because it is aware of the procedural challenges that such cases necessitate. They have profound comprehensive knowledge on the rules and regulations of common carriers, making them legally expected to exercise greater care of the common carriers than typical drivers. The company provides aggressive and unyielding representation to the victims of school buses and other city buses accidents with a strategic emphasis on getting the client as much money to cover the immediate medical treatment care, and the long-term care requirements and treatment to ensure that the clients are fully healed and financially stable.
Key Services:
- School bus collisions
- MTA negligence claims
- Public carrier liability
- Fracture and spinal injuries
Awards and Achievements: Multi-million dollar settlement results
Top Clients: NYC transit commuters
Website: https://carbertwaite.com/
Address: 120 Broadway, Suite 948, New York, NY 10271
Contact No: (212) 571-7171
How to Choose the Best Bus Accident Lawyers in New York
- Experience is important: Find lawyers who have a record of success in bus accidents, and not general personal injury practice.
- Resources and network: The leading companies hire experts in accident reconstruction, doctors, and investigators to create powerful cases.
- Trial preparedness: Select the attorneys who are ready to go to court instead of taking poor settlement deals.
- Client testimonials: Evaluate the reviews and case results of firms to see how they treat their clients and how they are able to produce results.
- Consultation style: The most desirable lawyers will give you a free consultation and clarify your rights without coercing or using legal terms that are difficult to understand.
- Fee structure: The majority of bus accident attorneys in New York operate on a contingency basis, that is, there are no upfront charges and an attorney fee only on winning.
Conclusion
The decision of whether or not to hire the correct legal representation following a bus accident may be the difference between being financially crippled and a full recovery. The bus accident lawyers in New York are aware of the peculiarities of such cases, such as government immunity legislation, negotiations with influential transportation authorities and insurance companies. The ten companies mentioned above are the most suitable choices of 2026, and they all have decades of experience, established outcomes, and commitment to the success of the clients.
In seeking the services of competent bus accident attorneys in New York, it is necessary to review their history of handling similar cases before and their readiness to put your case to trial as required. You may have been hurt in an MTA bus, a school bus or a private charter, but these attorneys have the experience and capabilities to fight on your behalf to get you the maximum compensation. There is no time to put off and find an attorney assistance because the filing timeframes in New York are very strict. Call one of these highest-rated firms and get a free consultation and be on the road to justice and recovery.
FAQs
What is the time limit in New York to file a claim on a bus accident?
Personal injury claims are usually subject to a time limitation of three years whereas the time limit on filing a notice of claim against government institutions such as the MTA is cut short to a period of 90 days.
What should happen should the bus accident be my fault in part?
New York adheres to pure comparative negligence, which implies that you can still receive damages despite the fact that you are partially at fault, but your damages will be diminished by the percentage of your fault.
How expensive is it to purchase bus accident lawyers in New York?
Most accident lawyers representing bus accidents operate on contingency fees, which is usually 33-40% of your settlement or award, and there is no initial expense or fee unless you do win. This setup allows anyone to have access to the best bus accident attorneys in New York irrespective of his or her financial status.
Is it possible to file a lawsuit against the MTA because of an accident on the bus?
Yes, but you have to provide a notice of claim within 90 days of the accident and have to undergo certain steps to sue governmental entities in New York.
What does a bus accident claim require me to have?
The primary evidence is the photos of the scene, contact details of witnesses, medical records, police reports, and surveillance records. Your lawyer will assist in collecting more evidence such as bus maintenance logs and bus driver logs.
