Government Vehicle Crash Notice Deadlines (Houston Area)

“shall give the mayor and city council notice in writing of such injury or destruction, duly verified, within 90 days after the same has been sustained”

• Mail to the City Secretary's Office, City of Houston, Post Office Box 1562, Houston, Texas 77251-1562 (fax 832.393.1109).
• With a copy to the City Attorney's Office, Attn: Claims/Subrogation Section, Post Office Box 368, Houston, Texas 77001-0368 (fax 832.393.6259).

• The Texas Tort Claims Act ratifies and approves a city's charter and ordinance provisions requiring notice within a charter period permitted by law (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101(b)).
• The notice requirements provided or ratified by §101.101(a) and (b) do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice that death has occurred, that the claimant has received some injury, or that the claimant's property has been damaged (§101.101(c)).

• City of Houston Legal Department, Filing a Claim (quoting City Charter art. IX, §11)
• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101 (Texas Tort Claims Act notice)

“Written notice of your claim must be mailed or delivered in person within 180 days of the occurrence”

• Harris County Commissioners Court, 1001 Preston, Room 610, Houston, Texas 77002, Attn: Clerk of Commissioners Court.

• Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a governmental unit is entitled to receive notice of a claim not later than six months after the day of the incident (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101(a)).
• The notice requirements provided or ratified by §101.101(a) and (b) do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice that death has occurred, that the claimant has received some injury, or that the claimant's property has been damaged (§101.101(c)).

• Harris County, Claim Filing Procedures (revised Dec. 9, 2025; PDF)
• Harris County Office of Management and Budget, Risk Management, Claims
• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101 (Texas Tort Claims Act notice)

“This form must be completed, signed, and mailed/delivered to the address below within 180 days of the incident by anyone desiring to make a claim against METRO.”

• Mailing address: METRO / Claims Division, P.O. Box 61429, Houston, TX 77208-1429.
• Delivery address: METRO Ride Store, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002.

• Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a governmental unit is entitled to receive notice of a claim not later than six months after the day of the incident (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101(a)).
• The notice requirements provided or ratified by §101.101(a) and (b) do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice that death has occurred, that the claimant has received some injury, or that the claimant's property has been damaged (§101.101(c)).

• METRO, Notice of Claim Form (Form SAF-FOR-017, version 2.0; PDF)
• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101 (Texas Tort Claims Act notice)

“A governmental unit is entitled to receive notice of a claim against it under this chapter not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred.”

• The Act does not name one office for every unit. Each governmental unit, including each school district, handles claims through its own office.
• TxDOT says a claim to it, other than property damage from highway conditions, must be in writing, that there is no formal claim form, and that it can be submitted online or by fax to (512) 416-3302, or mailed to the Texas Department of Transportation, Occupational Safety Division, PO Box 149148, Austin, TX 78714-9148.

• "Except as to motor vehicles, this chapter does not apply to a school district or to a junior college district" (§101.051): the Act reaches school districts and junior college districts as to motor vehicles.
• The Texas Tort Claims Act ratifies and approves a city's charter and ordinance provisions requiring notice within a charter period permitted by law (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101(b)).
• The notice requirements provided or ratified by §101.101(a) and (b) do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice that death has occurred, that the claimant has received some injury, or that the claimant's property has been damaged (§101.101(c)).

• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101 (Texas Tort Claims Act notice)
• Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.051 (school and junior college districts)
• Texas Department of Transportation, Pavement condition claim resolution process

“A tort claim against the United States shall be forever barred unless it is presented in writing to the appropriate Federal agency within two years after such claim accrues or unless action is begun within six months after the date of mailing, by certified or registered mail, of notice of final denial of the claim by the agency to which it was presented.”

• The SF-95 instructions say a claim goes to the federal agency whose employee was involved.
• For a vehicle leased from GSA, GSA says to submit SF-95 to the agency leasing the vehicle, and that its Accident Management Center (866-400-0411, then option 2) can help identify that agency.

• A lawsuit cannot be started until the claim has been presented to the federal agency and finally denied by the agency in writing; if the agency makes no final disposition within six months after the claim is filed, the claimant may treat that as a final denial (28 U.S.C. §2675(a)).
• The federal tort claim provisions of title 28 apply to tort claims arising out of activities of the Postal Service (39 U.S.C. §409(c)).

• 28 U.S.C. §2401 (time for commencing action against the United States)
• 28 U.S.C. §2675 (disposition by federal agency as prerequisite)
• 39 U.S.C. §409 (legal affairs of the Postal Service)
• U.S. General Services Administration, Standard Form 95 (rev. 2/2007)
• U.S. General Services Administration, Accident management center