Charter buses carry large numbers of passengers at high speeds and often on long trips across unfamiliar routes as well. If something goes wrong and a collision takes place, the results can leave dozens of people injured at once and can also leave victims wondering what their legal options are for recovering compensation.
Importantly, charter bus companies are classified as common carriers under Florida law. That designation comes with a heightened legal standard that can work in your favor compared with the average Florida car accident. Read on to learn more about how charter bus accident claims work in Florida and what you can do to protect your rights.
The Common Carrier Standard in Florida
Since charter bus companies transport passengers for hire, Florida law holds them to the highest degree of care for the safety of their riders. This is a stricter standard than what applies to ordinary drivers, who are only required to exercise reasonable care.
What this means in practice is that a Florida charter bus company must do everything a very careful operator would do under similar circumstances to keep passengers safe. If the company or its driver falls short of that standard and someone is injured, the company can be held liable for the resulting injuries. This applies to everything from how the bus is driven to how it is maintained to how the driver was hired and trained.
What Are Some of the Most Common Causes of Florida Charter Bus Accidents?
Florida Charter bus crashes can happen for a number of reasons, many of which trace back to the bus company cutting corners on safety:
- Fatigued drivers who have been behind the wheel too long without adequate rest
- Distracted driving from phones and GPS devices
- Speeding to stay on a tight schedule
- Poorly maintained brakes and other parts
- Unqualified drivers who were not properly screened before being hired
- Failure to follow FMCSA regulations
So long as someone else’s negligence contributed to your crash, you may have a valid personal injury claim against them for compensation.
Who Can Be Held Liable After a Florida Charter Bus Accident?
Charter bus accidents often involve more than one responsible party. Depending on the facts, potentially liable parties may include:
- The charter bus company that owns and operates the vehicle
- The bus driver who caused the crash directly
- A third-party maintenance contractor responsible for keeping the bus in safe condition
- The manufacturer of a defective bus component
- Another driver on the road whose actions helped cause the collision
Per the legal doctrine referred to as respondeat superior, the Florida charter bus company can be held liable for the negligent acts of its driver when that driver was acting within the scope of their employment. The company may also face direct liability in some cases under a legal theory such as negligent hiring.
Contact a Florida Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation
If you were injured in a charter bus accident in Florida, the common carrier standard may give you a more lucrative path to compensation than a typical car accident case would. A personal injury attorney with Elliott Law Firm can help you determine your legal options and work toward recovering maximum compensation from there.
Contact us today for a free consultation at (800) 300-0303. We won’t hesitate to take your case all the way to trial if that’s what justice demands.