Injured in an accident? Contact our Tampa injury lawyers!
Charter buses are becoming an increasingly popular mode of transportation for Florida residents and visitors alike. Charter buses can be around 47-feet long and carry around 50 passengers. The larger the vehicle, the more devastating the consequences in the event of an accident. If you or someone you love was involved in an accident with a Florida charter bus or tour bus, we invite you to contact a Tampa accident lawyer at Robert Sparks Attorneys for a free case review.
How are charter buses regulated?
Drivers are regulated by strict federal regulations, but only drivers that:
- Transport passengers between two or more states
- Drive buses that weigh, including passengers, over 10,000 pounds
- Transport nine or more passengers (including themselves) for pay
- Do not transport people for pay, but are transporting 16 or more passengers between states
This means that federal safety and Hours of Service regulations do not apply to bus drivers that transport people within the state of Florida only, however, there are state regulations that pertain specifically to charter buses, and closely resemble federal regulations.
Charter bus companies in Florida include:
- Redcoach
- Greyhound
- Holiday Coach Lines
- ESCOT Bus Lines
- Barracuda Travels, LLC
- Anywhere Tours of Florida
Types of Injury Claims Against Bus Companies & Drivers
Anyone injured in an accident involving a charter bus or tour bus may be able to file a personal injury claim for any of the following reasons:
- Negligent Hiring – This implicates the charter bus company for negligence relating to hiring an underqualified or disqualified individual.
- Negligent Retention – This makes the claim that the bus company negligently kept on an employee even after discovering that he or she was not fit for the Job.
- Failure to Train – This alleges that the bus company failed to adequately train the bus driver, which resulted in the accident.
- Failure to Supervise – This claim accuses the bus company of failing to supervise its employees, whereas proper supervision would not have allowed the negligent driving and consequent accident to occur.
- Improper Maintenance – This makes the claim that the charter bus company failed to properly maintain their vehicle. This claim usually arises out of accidents caused by mechanical failure.
- Failure to Abide by Regulations – This claim accuses the bus company and/or the bus driver of failure to abide by federal and/or state regulations, such as Hours of Service.
- Failure to Enforce Regulations – This makes the claim that the charter bus company may have claimed compliance to federal regulations in word, but failed to carry them out.
Contact Our Tampa Injury Attorneys to Discuss Your Case!
Get in touch with a Tampa accident lawyer at Robert Sparks Attorneys today if you or someone you love was involved in an accident with a bus. We are here to provide free initial evaluations of your case to determine what legal rights and options you might have!
