File a written presentment claim within 2 years if the bus was run by a public entity, and file the court complaint within 3 years. For a Boston Public Schools bus claim, that usually means a presentment letter under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act to the proper executive officer before a lawsuit starts.

No - the common wrong answer is that you can only recover bills already paid. That is false in Massachusetts.

Yes, your child can seek money for future medical treatment, therapy, disability-related care, and long-term limits on earning ability if the evidence shows those costs are likely. The key is proof, not guesswork.

In a serious Boston crash - especially during hurricane season, flash flooding, hydroplaning, or storm-debris pileups - future damages are often built from records and opinions from treating specialists, rehab doctors, and hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, a Level I trauma center downtown. If a child will need more surgeries, physical therapy, counseling, mobility aids, special schooling support, or years of follow-up care, those projected costs can be part of the claim.

Massachusetts also allows damages for a child's lost future earning capacity when an injury permanently changes what kinds of work they may be able to do as an adult. That matters in brain injuries, spinal injuries, orthopedic damage, and lasting pain conditions.

Fault still matters. Massachusetts uses modified comparative fault: if the defendants prove the injured person was more than 50% at fault, there is no recovery. But a child passenger on a school bus is rarely the one carrying that blame. Responsibility may instead fall on the bus driver, bus company, school district, or another driver - common on crowded commuter routes heading in from Middlesex County toward Boston.

What usually strengthens the future-care claim:

• Doctor opinions tying the crash to long-term treatment
• Rehab and therapy records showing ongoing limits months later
• School records showing new learning or physical accommodations
• Expert projections of future medical costs and disability impact