Common carriers are businesses and government agencies that operate vehicles to transport people. Legally speaking, common carriers owe a higher duty of care to their passengers than the ordinary duty of “reasonable care” that the law imposes upon most people. They have this higher duty because they are entrusted with the safety and welfare of multiple people at a time, and people rely on them extensively for basic transportation needs. Florida law goes so far as to make careless or negligent management of a common carrier a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. In a civil claim for damages due to the negligence of a bus driver or bus company, proving a breach of a duty of care may be easier than in a claim against a driver of a private vehicle.