Your Child Was Injured on a Marion County School Bus: Why You Have Only 180 Days to Act

August 11, 2026

• A school bus accident is every parent’s nightmare, and you’ll unfortunately have to act fast to get compensation if your child was injured on a bus in Marion County.
• Indiana Tort Law says that you have to start your case no later than 180 days after a Maron County school bus accident. You’ll have to file the right paperwork quickly and accurately – all while dealing with the aftermath of the accident.
• Working with Marion County lawyers who know the Tort Laws and are knowledgeable about bus accidents can help you get through a tough time and be made whole again.

When you send your child to school, you expect a safe trip there and back. You don’t even want to have to worry about an injury on a school bus. So when you get a call that your son or daughter was hurt, you will be scared, confused, and focused on care.

Taking care of your child is the right thing to do, but you also need to be aware that a countdown begins as soon as the accident happens.  If you haven’t taken the required steps by the time the countdown is over, you’ll have lost any right to compensation for what happened. And that can mean paying for medical and therapy bills yourself.

Because every public school bus in Marion County is covered by Indiana tort law, you may have as little as 180 days to get your case started. You need to act as quickly as possible – and work with skilled Indianapolis bus accident lawyers.

Marion County School Buses Are Legally Different

If you are in a “normal” auto accident in Marion County, like a collision with a truck on I-70, you have two years to file your case. But that’s not true for an accident with a government entity, like every public school district in Marion County. Your child’s school bus is an extension of the public school district, and that can change everything about your claim.

The rules are different for public entities. Sec. 34-13-3 of the Indiana Code is known as the Indiana Tort Claims Act. This states that anyone wanting to sue a governmental body has to first file a Notice of Tort Claim. This gives the government the time to conduct its own investigation and determine a course of action, whether that means fighting the claim or settling it.

Keep in mind that filing a Notice is not the same as filing an actual lawsuit. That may still have to be done depending on how the school district responds.

The catch? You have 180 days from the date of the accident to file your Notice of Tort Claim. If you fail to do so, the case will be dismissed with no recourse. And you’ll miss out on any chance to get compensation.

That means that if the accident happens when school starts in early August, you only have until early February to file the Notice. During this time, you may still be dealing with the aftermath of the accident and helping your injured child get through it. It can be overwhelming.

That’s why you need to be ready on the first day.

How To Meet the 180-Day Rule

The steps you take after a Marion County school bus accident are important, both for your child and for your financial future.

First and foremost, seek medical attention immediately and make sure you document it: every visit, every diagnosis, and every injury. These medical records are the strongest part of your claim.

Be sure you get the incident report from the school. The district is legally required to make a report, and you have a right to access it.

You may need to amass other evidence too, including communications from the school, injury photos, and statements from fellow parents or students.

You’ll also have to ensure that the Notice of Tort Claim is accurate.  Every Notice has to include the following:

• The name and address of the claimant
• A description of the incident and injuries
• The date, time, and location of the accident
• The name of the government employee involved (if known)
• The monetary amount of the claim

You have to make sure you are filing against the right entity as well. That could be Indianapolis Public Schools, Washington Township, Speedway Schools, Beech Grove City Schools, or some other government body.

Ultimately, it is the district that bears primary responsibility – not the individual school – although other parties might share responsibility too, like the bus driver, the bus company, or another driver on the road. Those cases would be under the normal two-year rule. But if the district has any liability, you’ll have to file the Notice by the 180-day deadline before going on to file a lawsuit against it if necessary.

The Importance of a Knowledgeable Bus Accident Lawyer

When your child is injured, the world turns upside down. You might not know what to do or have the mental energy to do it all yourself.

The last thing you want to do is miss the Notice of Tort Claim deadline or file it improperly. That’s why partnering with a lawyer who knows the law is so important, so don’t wait until Day 179 to find one.

Reach Out to Our Experienced Marion County Bus Accident Attorneys

You have a lot on your mind. You need someone who can share the burden and help you and your child move forward, like the Indianapolis bus accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, PC, a dedicated Indiana personal injury law firm whose experienced attorneys have been fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured since 1998.

Simply call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now for a free consultation with a seasoned school bus accident attorney in the Indianapolis area.