Liability for bus accidents in Detroit is determined by several key factors, including the bus driver’s actions, the unique circumstances surrounding the crash, the ownership of the bus, whether the bus driver was acting within the scope of his or her employment, and whether other parties’ negligence may have contributed to the accident.
If the bus is government-owned, the motor vehicle exception to governmental immunity allows injured parties to hold the government responsible for negligence in operating the vehicle. However, individual government employees, such as bus drivers, are typically protected from liability unless their actions amount to gross negligence.
In cases involving privately owned buses, liability may fall on the bus company or owner through vicarious liability or negligent entrustment. Michigan’s owner liability statute may not apply, as buses are excluded from the statutory definition of “motor vehicle.”
Similarly, the bus driver’s employer may be responsible under the doctrine of …