While most everyone has traveled by bus at one time or another, and buses are generally very safe, New York State is a very busy state and there are very many transit systems operating in New York at one time. This means that sometimes there are accidents, and who do you contact if you have been in an accident involving a New York state bus.
New York State has a Public Transportation Safety Board otherwise known as the PTSB which was created in 1984, and they oversee all public transportation systems in the state to reduce the number, rate and severity of accidents, however they cannot do everything.
Buses falling to certain categories and knowing how a bus is certified and classified as going to be important to understanding how to file a lawsuit in the event of being in an accident with the bus. Your lawyer, your car accident lawyer in Rockland County, NY, such as the ones available Greenspans & Greenspan PC is going to be able to help you understand the types of buses and how they fall into the various modes of operation.
Charter buses are when a group organization has hired a bus for exclusive use often times this is under a fixed contract. Package or retail tour buses are planned trips which are sold by transportation or tour companies. Sightseeing buses are offered by bus or tour companies to view attractions within a specific region or area of the region.
Airport shuttles are private services that are used to transport passengers on a fixed route between airports and hotels. These are run by the airport and typically have a set route and destination.
Commuter fixed route services are used by individuals who are traveling between business districts and outlying residential areas. These are commuter buses which are typically used to go to and from work and other businesses to the person’s home.
Scheduled buses are going to operate on a specific ticketed schedule for planned routes between cities or areas. These buses are operating for the public, and they operate unplanned routes that are displayed publicly.
Special operations or regular route services for special events like sporting events, and other kinds of trips within a city. These are not often in use as they are for special events, which means that they have a set route within a specific time.
School buses are for transportation of children from school and back. School buses are often painted yellow with flashing lights or in one of the most common types of buses that everyone knows across the country. They help relocate children from their homes to their schools and back home again. They typically travel on a fixed route.
When it comes to a car accident involving a bus such as the ones mentioned above, it is going to depend heavily on the type of budget you are dealing with in the bus company. You are not very likely to be suing the bus driver specifically unless the bus driver is solely at all due to driver distraction or fatigue, and your car accident lawyer in Rockland County, NY is going to be able to give you more insight into who you were going to be suing.