After an accident with a bus, the first thing that people who take note of is whether the bus is a private vehicle or a city-operated bus. If the bus is privately owned, the defendant is simply the driver and their employer. In these situations, the case can proceed just like any other car accident case that is based on a personal injury. It is when the bus is a city vehicle that the situation becomes more complicated.
Normally, the government is protected from being sued by a concept known as sovereign immunity. This is a legal doctrine that protects all government employees and their respective agencies from liability in cases of accidents. However, in many situations, the government consents to be sued in the interest of fairness, and bus accidents are a prime example. The process is not a simple one.