Laws that surround bus accidents fall under common carrier law, as do all other forms of public transportation, including school buses, taxi cabs, subways, trolleys, cables cars, trains, boats, ferries, cruise ships, helicopters, airplanes, and even limousines in some states. If you or someone you love was recently injured in a public bus accident, you’ll need to brush up on Indiana bus accident laws.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about common carrier liability, including how you can protect yourself and your right to being compensated for your damages and losses, after suffering serious injuries in an Indiana bus accident.

Common Carrier Regulation

As you might have caught on, a common carrier is considered any business that is licensed or authorized by a regulatory government body to transport people, services, or goods, and offers their services to the general public for a fee. And they can be a public or private entity. Common carrier laws are regulated on local, state, and federal levels, wherein the federal government regulates transportation of people, goods, and services across country borders, and local and state governments regulate interstate travel.

Bus Accidents and Liability

Under common carrier law, bus companies have a responsibility to maintain the safety of their passengers. In fact, common carriers have a higher-than-normal duty of care since they offer their services to the general public and charge a fee for them. They must maintain the highest level of caution possible to ensure their passengers and cargoes are safe at all times while in their care. And if a common carrier, a bus company for instance, fails to maintain this level of care, their failure can be considered negligence, which is the number one element of a personal injury case.

Bus Accident Injury Claims

There are several possibilities of a bus company demonstrating negligence. Driver negligent can include speeding, fatigued driving, intoxicated driving, disobeying traffic signals, drug use, and so forth. Company negligence can include a wide range of circumstances, such as improper or negligent bus maintenance and repair, insufficient handicap equipment, unsafe environments, inadequate training, and more. Failure to prevent or address these issues and those similar can cost a bus company a lawsuit if a passenger is injured as a result. They can be held responsible for a victim’s damages and losses that resulting from the bus accident and subsequent injuries.

Government Regulated Common Carriers

Suing the government for losses resulting from a public transportation accident can be quite complex. It is very challenging to sue a government entity because they are subject to a separate set of laws, limitations, and restrictions. But that does not mean it is impossible to recover compensation after being seriously injured in a bus accident. All you need is a skilled Indiana personal injury lawyer with extensive trial and litigation experience with cases surrounding auto accidents. They have the knowledge, skills, and resources to protect your rights and obtain the fair compensation you deserve.

Were you recently injured in a bus accident in Indianapolis, Indiana? Contact Carl Brizzi LAW at 317-636-7497 to schedule a free consultation and learn your eligibility for pursing legal action, today. We represent clients all throughout the state, and never collect lawyer fees unless we recover a settlement for you.

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