Articles Posted in Bus Accidents

Private companies, daycare centers or churches that put passenger buses on the road have a responsibility to exercise reasonable care for the safety of bus passengers.  That rule not only applies to bus drivers, but also the duty of bus owners to maintain the bus in an appropriate condition.

As you would expect,  passenger buses need regular maintenance to be safe.  Belts need to be tightened or replaced, bus tires need to be inspected, rotated and/or replaced, and brakes need to be maintained. The failure to do so can result in the failure of an essential component of the bus system, and result in a bus accident that in turn causes injury or death to bus passengers or other people.  In addition, bus drivers must be trained to not only do the inspection of the buses but also be prepared to handle mechanical failures of the component parts of the bus system.  A multitude of federal regulations apply to protect bus passengers from the errors of bus owners or bus drivers. 

Tennessee law provides compensatory damages and, in limited cases, punitive damages to those harmed by a failure of the owner of a passenger bus to property maintain the vehicle.  Tennessee law has a very strict deadline for taking legal action – the injured person (or the representatives of a deceased person) must file suit within one year of the date of the incident causing the initial injury or death or the injured or deceased persons rights will be lost forever.

Operators of buses, known in the industry as motorcoaches, place their riders at risk of serious injury or death if they operate the vehicles with tires that are overloaded or are overly worn or damaged.  Also at risk are other motorists and pedestrians if the motorcoach experiences a tire failure and the driver of the motorcoach loses control of the vehicle.

The risk is increased in the summer, when the tires are operated in warm weather conditions, increasing the risk of overheating and tire failure.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has warned motorcoach operators of the need to consider maximum tire load carrying capacity and tire speed rating, and allow an adequate tire pressure safety margin when carrying maximum passenger and luggage loads.  The failure to take appropriate action can lead to the assessment of penalties against the operator.  

The use of medical transportation vehicles is growing in Middle Tennessee.  The elderly, people who live in poverty, and the disabled rely on medical transportation companies to take them to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy appointments,  and other medical offices for various treatments and tests.

Many of these people need special care getting in and out of the vehicle.  Those in wheelchairs need to be carefully and completely secured before the transport vehicle is moved.  And, the drivers of these vehicles need to take special care to protect the riders, the majority of whom are in a fragile state of health.

Our law firm’s website has more information to assist those  injured while a passenger in a medical transport vehicle.

Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville and other cities in Middle Tennessee greet several million tourists every year.  These tourists frequently rely on shuttle buses provided by local hotels to travel to and from the airport, local restuarants, and the music venues of Lower Broadway.

Unfortunately, shuttle bus drivers, like every other type of driver, are capable of making errors that can result in the injury or death of their passengers.  Our firm has represented tourists who were injured in hotel shuttle bus accidents, holding the hotels or motels that employed these drivers responsible for the harm caused by the drivers.

If you or a loved has been harmed in a shuttle bus accident in Nashville or anywhere in Tennessee, please call John Day at 866-812-8787 or complete this contact form.  There is not charge for an initial consultation.

Nashville and other parts of Tennessee has a large number of medical transport vehicles.  These vehicles are usually vans that transport people to doctor visits, medical tests or physical therapy.

The drivers of these vehicles must be very attuned to the special needs of their passengers.  For example, if the passenger is in  a wheel chair, the passenger must be secured in the chair and the chair in the van before the van is moved.  Failure to do so can result in the passenger being ejected from the chair in a sharp turn, sudden stop, or a collision with another vehicle.

Improper loading or unloading medical transport vehicles may also result in injuries.