Types of Bus Accidents and Who Is at Fault
Who you sue depends on who was operating the bus and under what authority, so find out this week whether it was SporTran, a school district bus, or a private charter. That answer decides which rules your case lives under.
Transit buses
SporTran, the Shreveport Area Transit System, runs fixed-route service on city streets and is a government entity, so a claim against it follows the Louisiana Governmental Claims Act: the same two-year prescriptive period, but its own procedure once suit is filed.
School buses
Louisiana holds school bus operators to strict safety standards, and the district and its insurer answer for a driver's negligence. Most school bus claims are government claims too, under the same Act.
Charter, tour, and intercity buses
A private carrier running charter or tour service answers to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the federal agency that sets and enforces commercial vehicle safety rules. Federal regulations set its hours of service, vehicle inspection requirements, and driver qualification standards, and long-distance bus lines carry federally mandated insurance minimums well above standard auto coverage.
Rideshare and shuttle buses
Liability still turns on whose fault caused the crash; whether the operator holds a commercial carrier license and whether the vehicle meets federal passenger standards shape which rules and insurance apply. This category varies more than any other.
Third-party defendants
A vehicle manufacturer answers for brake failure, a tire blowout, or a door mechanism that caused or contributed to the crash when the part was unreasonably dangerous under the Louisiana Products Liability Act (La. R.S. 9:2800.54), which our product liability page explains. Brakes or tires that failed from ordinary wear or poor upkeep point to someone other than the manufacturer. A maintenance contractor who did the service badly is a proper defendant too. The driver is rarely the only name on the petition, and each defendant brings separate counsel, separate insurance, and its own defenses.
For related commercial vehicle cases, see commercial vehicle accidents.












