Miami accident lawyers know that an injury claim against a county bus agency follows special rules in Fla. Stat. § 768.28: a written notice of claim, a cap on what the government can be required to pay, and its own filing deadlines. A claim against a private driver follows the usual car accident rules instead.
What Happened in Tamarac
The Perazzo Law Firm has learned, according to Local 10 News, that a car and a Broward County Transit bus collided in Tamarac on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, just before 9:30 a.m., at Rock Island Road and West Commercial Boulevard. Local 10 News reports, citing a Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, that medics took approximately 10 people to a hospital or hospitals.
According to the same Local 10 News report, authorities are investigating and have not shared further details on the injuries. This article does not assess the crash or anyone’s role in it. It covers what Florida law says in general about claims involving public buses.
Claims Against a Government Transit Agency
The car accident lawyer in Miami, Jonathan Perazzo, understands that under Fla. Stat. § 768.28, the state and its agencies and subdivisions, including counties, can be held liable for negligence only on the statute’s terms. Four of those terms matter most:
- Payment cap: under § 768.28(5)(a), a government body cannot be required to pay a claim or judgment above $200,000 for any one person, or above $300,000 for all claims from the same incident. Paying a judgment above the cap generally takes a further act of the Legislature, unless insurance coverage allows a settlement.
- Written notice: under § 768.28(6)(a), the claim must be presented in writing to the agency within 3 years after it accrues. Notice to the Department of Financial Services is also required, except for claims against a municipality, county, or the Florida Space Authority. For wrongful death, the statute sets a 2-year window for notice to the Department.
- Agency response: under § 768.28(6)(d), if the agency has not resolved a claim within 6 months of filing (90 days for wrongful death), the claim is deemed denied. Under § 768.28(6)(b), notice and denial are conditions that must be met before a lawsuit can be maintained.
- Suit deadline: under § 768.28(14), a lawsuit must be filed within 4 years after the claim accrues. Wrongful death claims follow the limits in Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5) instead.
Which of these rules applies depends on who owns and operates the vehicle involved.
Other Possible Claims
A claim against a private party and its insurer is not governed by § 768.28. For negligence, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) sets a 2-year limit, shorter than the 4-year suit deadline for government claims. Whether any such claim exists depends on facts that investigators have not released.
Your own coverage may matter too. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.727(1), Florida motor vehicle liability policies generally must include uninsured motorist coverage unless a named insured rejects it in writing. Whether it applies to a given crash depends on the policy terms.
Our car accident lawyer page explains how these claims generally work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sue a county bus agency in Florida?
Yes, within the limits of Fla. Stat. § 768.28, which sets conditions such as written notice and payment caps.
Is the deadline the same as for a claim against a private driver?
No. Section 768.28(14) sets a 4-year suit deadline for government claims, with written notice required first. Negligence claims against private parties generally fall under the 2-year limit in § 95.11(5)(a).
Does a passenger’s own insurance matter?
It can. Uninsured motorist coverage under § 627.727(1) depends on the policy terms and on whether it was rejected in writing.
Talk With The Perazzo Law Firm
If you or a family member was hurt in a crash involving a bus, call 888-PERAZZO or request a case evaluation. This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Miami Personal Injury Attorney Advertising. Responsible attorney: Jonathan Perazzo, Esq. Bona fide offices in North Miami Beach, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.