Oklahoma City Law Firms
Bus accident claims in Oklahoma are much more complicated than your average car accident. The type of bus and the nature of the accident determine which laws will come into play in your case. State and federal regulations may apply. It is common for bus accidents lawsuits to involve a government entity such as a municipality of school district. There may be numerous victims, as well.
Types of Buses
The type of bus involved in your bus accident will dictate many aspects of your case including the potential responsible parties and the time limits and procedures for pursuing compensation for your injuries. Types of buses include:
- Public transit
- School bus
- Prison bus
- Tour bus
- Interstate transit bus
- Charter bus
- Private bus
Public transit, school buses, and prison buses are examples of buses which are typically the responsibility of a government entity. Lawsuits against government entities are handled differently to those against companies and individuals. You may have a very short amount of time to take legal action.
Causes of Bus Accidents in Oklahoma
Driver negligence, or driver error, is very often involved in a bus accident, but there are other causes of bus accidents, such as bus malfunction, and in cases of driver error the underlying cause of the error can be very important to your case and to determining who can be held responsible. Causes of bus accidents include:
- Inexperienced or undertrained driver
- Driver fatigue
- Unrealistic schedules
- Distracted driver
- Intoxication
- Defective bus or other vehicle
- Inadequately maintained bus
- Blind spots
- Excessive speed
- Defective roadway
- Poorly designed bus stop
- Improper hiring practices
- Failure to monitor drivers
- Negligence on the part of other drivers, including failure to stop for school bus
- Hazardous weather conditions
Responsible Parties in Bus Accidents
The bus driver may be held responsible for a bus accident, but in most cases where the bus driver was to blame the bus driver’s employer, such as a bus company or school district, can be held responsible. If the accident was caused by a problem with the bus itself, it may be due to a defect or to inadequate maintenance, each of which points to different responsible parties. There can be more than one responsible party in a bus accident. Responsible parties in bus accidents can include:
- Bus driver
- Bus company
- Public transit system
- Municipality
- Public school district
- Private school
- Church
- Company or organization which hired the bus
- Other drivers
- Bus maintenance provider
- Bus or part manufacturer
- Rental company
- City, county, or state agencies responsible for design, construction, and or maintenance of roadway
Our law firms represent people with Oklahoma bus accident claims.