Bus Accidents in Ohio
Many residents and visitors in Ohio utilize buses to get to and from destinations. As affordable methods of public transportation, buses frequently carry very large passenger loads. The sizes of these vehicles often mean that when buses are involved in accidents, occupants of other motor vehicles or possibly even pedestrians can suffer severe injuries.
Because buses are mass transit vehicles, they are subject to certain Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, such as limits on the maximum number of passengers or the number of hours drivers can work. Several bus crashes involve violations of federal or state laws, which often make bus drivers as well as the owners of the vehicles liable for the injuries victims sustain.
Bus Companies in Ohio
As a state with multiple metropolitan areas, Ohio is served by a number of different bus carriers. Some of the most popular bus lines in the Buckeye State include:
- Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority (METRO RTA)
- Allen County Regional Transport Authority (ACRTA)
- Barons Bus Lines
- Buckeye Charter Service
- Central Ohio Transit Authority
- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)
- Cincinnati Motorcoach Bus Charters
- Eastern Ohio Regional Transit Authority (EORTA)
- Go Metro
- GoBus
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
- Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA)
- Greyhound
- Lakefront Lines
- Ohio Valley Regional Transportation Authority (OVRTA)
- Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA)
- Queen City Transportation
- Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA)
- Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA)
- Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA)
- Trinity Transportation
- Wanderu
Ohio Bus Laws
Ohio Revised Code § 4513.50(A)(1) defines a bus as any vehicle used for the transportation of passengers that either was originally designed to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver) or weighs more than 10,000 pounds. The term does not include a church bus, any vehicle operated exclusively on a rail or rails, electric-powered trolley buses, or vehicles owned or leased by government agencies or political subdivisions.
Under Ohio Revised Code § 4511.75(A), drivers are required to stop for any stopped school buses. Ohio Revised Code § 4511.75(C), however, states that drivers do not need to stop for school buses on highways divided into four or more lanes when the school bus approaching from the opposite direction is stopped.
Contact an Ohio Bus Accident Lawyer
Did you suffer catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in a bus crash in Ohio? You should avoid signing any agreements or speaking to any agents from the bus carrier’s insurance company until after you have obtained legal representation.
Need an Injury Attorney Ohio represents people involved in bus accidents all over the Buckeye State. Companies that own buses must maintain insurance policies that carry much larger limits than traditional passenger vehicles, but insurers are rarely inclined to fully compensate victims for the nature of the injuries they suffer.
Our personal injury lawyers can negotiate with a bus carrier and its insurance company to get you a settlement that provides all of the compensation you need and deserve. You can contact our firm 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take advantage of a free, no-obligation consultation that will allow our firm to review your case and discuss all of your legal options.