Practically every Central Florida media source was reporting this morning about an overnight crash between a Disney Magical Express tour bus and a U.S. Postal Service semi tractor-trailer on Boggy Creak Road and the State Road 417 off-ramp in Orange County. The crash presumably occurred in the middle of the intersection — meaning that one or the other vehicle probably disobeyed a traffic light. At the time of this writing, law enforcement had still not decided how to level charges, as each driver apparently blamed the other for running the red ligtht.
The crash was a significant one – sending four bus passenger and the Disney bus driver to the hospital. The front of the tractor-trailer was reported to have been significantly damaged, with the windshield smashed.
The Disney Magical Express is a fleet of buses utilized by Walt Disney World to ferry Disney customers from the airport to its theme parks, hotels, or cruise ships located at Port Canaveral in Brevard County.
As an Orlando accident attorney, a crash like this one serves to highlight some special duties owed by bus drivers and the drivers of heavy trucks. Many people do not realize that buses are considered “common carriers” under Florida law. In Florida, operators of common carriers have to drive even more carefully than people operating cars. Because of the character of their vehicles, and the fact that these drivers are responsible for the safety of many passengers, the law placed upon them a duty to use the highest possible care when driving. If the driver of a common carrier does not use the highest level of care, then the driver is probably guilty of negligence.
Similarly, truck drivers arguably have a duty to be more vigilant on the road than a “regular” driver. This is not a duty imposed by the law, but comes as a result of the additional training and experience that most qualified truck drivers have. For example, truck drivers are taught that their vehicles will take extra time to stop and be harder to control, so they have to approach intersections more cautiously. They are taught to pay special attention to their mirrors and other visual cues so that their vehicle does not become a danger to others and cause a Florida truck accident.
If you have any questions regarding a Florida truck accident or bus accident, call Orlando accident attorney Kim Cullen at 407-644-4444.
