Tour Bus Accidents, Lawsuits, and Liability - Phoenix Bus Accident Lawyers

Arizona Bus Accident Lawyers Helping Hold Tour Companies Accountable

When groups of people travel, many times they’ll decide to collaborate on transportation so that there is less in the way of hassle and stress. One of the more popular modes of transportation for groups who want to experience the same trip is to hire a tour bus to handle the logistics. While this is generally a safe and responsible choice to make, the unfortunate reality is that bus accidents do occur in Arizona and people will need our Phoenix bus accident lawyers for help from time to time.

Below you’ll find information regarding the parties that may hire a tour bus, the responsibilities of the tour bus company and others in relation to anyone they may allow onboard their vehicles, the potential liability tour bus company and other defendants could face and finally how you should proceed if you or someone you love has been harmed in a tour bus accident in Arizona and need the legal help of a Phoenix bus accident lawyer.

Potential Parties to a Tour Bus Contract

There are several different instances in which a tour bus could be hired, and this means that there could be several different parties to the ultimate contract that’s signed reserving the bus for the tour. This is important in terms of any legal liability because if a tour bus accident occurs, those parties to the contract will be relevant to any legal claims that are ultimately filed by those who are injured or suffer damages.

The Tour Company

The tour company may or may not own the tour bus, but the role of this party is generally to organize the trip for the group and to organize destinations, accommodations, schedules and just about any other detail that relates to the travel group’s plans.

The Bus Company

Many times, the tour company will contract with a bus company to use one of its vehicles to provide the transportation to the travel group.

Different Destinations

There are several examples of destinations that may contract with the tour company to provide commissions or other financial incentives to have the tour bus that’s carrying the load of passengers to stop at that destination so that the passengers can spend money dining, sleeping or even gambling if the destination is a casino.

The Travel Group

Groups of passengers who ultimately hire a tour bus may be organized in a specific and tangible club or travel group, or they may simply be a group of acquaintances who all have similar travel destination desires.

Responsibilities of the Parties to a Tour Bus Contract

As stated above, each potential party to this sort of contract will ultimately be responsible for different duties that are usually laid out in the written agreement. Below is an overview of what those responsibilities could be for each.

The Tour Company

If the tour company owns the bus that will be used, the tour company will be responsible for providing a vehicle that’s safe for use and that meets all of the basic safety requirements as set out by law. In addition, the tour company will need to be sure to hire a bus driver who has an acceptable driving record. If the tour company contracts with a bus company, the tour company will still be responsible for hiring a bus company that has a clean record with the government.

The Bus Company

The bus company that’s hired will have similar responsibilities to those listed above if the tour company owns the bus. The vehicle must be reasonably safe, the driver employed for the trip must meet basic requirements and the company itself usually must warrant to other parties to the contract that it is properly licensed for interstate travel.

Different Destinations

If a destination along the tour route contracts with another party to make sure that the tour bus stops there, that destination must make sure that their premises is safe for buses to travel to, to park and to navigate in and around. Basically, a destination could be liable if its location leads to an accident because of some danger on its property.

The Travel Group

The travel group can be responsible for its members if it fails to exercise reasonable diligence in regards to any other party or aspect of the trip, including diligence in regards to the tour company, the bus company, and the destinations.

How an Arizona Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help

If you or someone you love has been injured in a tour bus accident in Arizona, you could face a complicated legal scenario. The contract that governs this situation will most likely be relevant in determining which parties could be at fault, and the negligence of the bus driver or the driver of a different vehicle could also be responsible if an accident occurs in Arizona. Rather than attempt to handle this situation by yourself, seek the help of the Phoenix bus accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group by contacting the firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.