Buses are important forms of public transportation to a number of residents and visitors alike in Maine. Because buses typically carry a large number of passengers, they are significantly bigger than traditional passenger vehicles—and thus far more likely to cause severe injuries to the people involved in bus accidents.
Need an Injury Attorney Maine represents clients in communities all over the Pine Tree State who have sustained injuries in bus crashes. Buses are considered mass transit vehicles which are subject to strict Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations relating to the number of hours that drivers can work and the maximum number of passengers in a vehicle. Violations of FMCSA regulations can make a bus carrier liable for the injuries victims suffer.
Bus Carriers in Maine
Maine is served by a number of different local and national bus carriers. The state is served by several Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transit services, charter buses, demand response buses, fixed route buses, and intercity buses.
Some of the different bus carriers in Maine include:
- Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS)
- BusBank
- Community Concepts Inc. (CCI)
- Community Connector
- Concord Coach Lines
- Custom Coach and Limousine
- Cyr Bus Tours
- Downeast Transportation, Inc.
- Freeport Transit Inc.
- Greater Portland Transit District (METRO)
- Greyhound
- Independent Transportation Network (ITN)
- Island Exporer
- Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP)
- Mermaid Transportation
- Mountain Explorer
- Northeast Charter & Tour Co., Inc.
- Regional Transportation Program (RTP)
- Shoreline Explorer
- ShuttleBus
- South Portland Bus Service
- Sugarloaf Explorer
- US Coachway Inc.
- VIP Charter Coaches
- West’s Transportation
- Western Maine Transportation Services (WMTS)
- York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC)
- Zoom Turnpike Express
Types of Buses in Maine
Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 101.11 defines a bus as “a motor vehicle designed for carrying more than 15 persons, including the operator.” An articulate bus is defined under Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 101.5 as “a bus consisting of 2 passenger-carrying sections in which the rear body section is flexibly but permanently connected to the front section in a manner that allows the vehicle to bend without having an interior barrier to movement between sections of the vehicle.”
Under Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 2301.2, a private school activity bus is defined as “a privately owned motor vehicle with a carrying capacity of 10 to 15 passengers that is not operated with public funds and that is used by a private school to transport students other than to and from home and school.” A multifunction school activity bus is defined under Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 2301.1-C as a noncommercial motor vehicle that:
- Is designed to carry 15 or fewer passengers including the driver;
- Meets all the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 571, as amended, that are applicable to multifunction school activity buses;
- Meets all provisions of this Title pertaining to school buses, except for section 2302, subsection 1, paragraphs A to E and G and H; section 2304; and section 2308;
- Is clearly marked with the words “students aboard”;
- Has all emergency exits clearly marked; and
- Is clearly marked with the school administrative unit or school district name.
A vehicle that is designed to carry 10 or more people, including the driver, meets all relevant Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and provisions of Title 29-A pertaining to school buses, and is operated by a full-service transportation provider or urban fixed-route transit provider is an allowable alternative vehicle under Maine Revised Statute Title 29-A Section 2301.1-A.
Contact a Maine Personal Injury Lawyer
If you sustained catastrophic injuries or your loved one was killed in a bus crash in Maine, it is in your best interest to call Need an Injury Attorney Maine as soon as possible. Our firm is available 24/7 to answer your legal questions and help you understand all of your rights.
Bus carriers are required to carry much larger insurance policies than traditional passenger vehicles, but this does not mean that insurers for bus companies are particularly eager to quickly or fully compensate victims. In many cases, they will make deliberate efforts to minimize injury awards.
Need an Injury Attorney Maine can negotiate with these insurance companies and fight to get you every last cent of compensation that you are entitled to. We provide free, no-obligation consultations so our lawyers can review your case and help you understand all of your legal options.