Bus Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL

Bus Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a disastrous bus accident, take the first step in your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be equally as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Madison County, IL bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Madison County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their careless behavior. Our Madison County, IL clients have put their cases and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Madison County, IL residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for pricey medical bills and also deal with the emotional trauma of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Madison County, IL bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We get started on your case straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Madison County, IL because of somebody else's reckless actions, discover how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Madison County, IL Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus assuming that the correct safety measures were followed. Madison County, IL bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most tragic instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you receive the best possible compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Madison County, IL individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those Madison County, IL insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, accomplished and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Madison County, IL residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Madison County, IL bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can expect a veteran and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time during the day or night in order to secure key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. A lot of different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Madison County, IL bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work alongside our network of Madison County, IL accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our know-how and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Stand up to resistant Madison County, IL insurance companies who care more about their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get maximum compensation. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Madison County, IL bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Madison County, IL Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver action. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not enforced or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of maneuvering them, icy roads or Madison County, IL construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but much less than other transportation industries. A 2011 study by the National Transportation Safety Board found that The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has only 878 inspectors responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Madison County, IL bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Madison County, IL street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Madison County, IL government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your expert Madison County, IL bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Madison County, IL buses are properly inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to verify the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to place the blame on somebody else, your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Madison County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they generally transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Madison County, IL government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. If you want to file a suit against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is crucial to call a Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at once after your injury. There is no time to wait, call the trusted Burger Law bus accident injury lawyers now at (314) 500-HURT.

Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 grants sovereign immunity to government entities and employees except against a government employee who was driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through negligence. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Madison County, IL road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were hurt in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Madison County, IL bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Madison County and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Madison County, IL may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not conduct proper background checks when hiring drivers.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for bus accident injuries and other types of injuries:

• Do I have to Talk to the Insurance Company Before I Talk to a Lawyer?
• How Much to Expect in an Auto Accident Settlement
• What Happens During Litigation?
• Does My Family Have a Wrongful Death Claim?
• Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

What Compensation Can A Bus Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Madison County, IL and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you secure a great financial recovery for all of the pain and inconvenience your injury has caused and will continue to cause. Missouri Senate Bill 239 defines the damages you can receive as:

• Economic damages, including:
  • Medical expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with our network of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you deserve, accounting for inflation for future lost earning potential or future medical expenses.

• Noneconomic damages, including:
  • pain and suffering
  • mental anguish
  • inconvenience
  • physical impairment
  • disfigurement
  • loss of capacity to enjoy life
  • loss of consortium

However grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Madison County, IL bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you collect maximum compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois
• Premises Liability Lawyer in Illinois

Call Our Madison County, IL Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.