Bus Accident Attorney in North St. Louis County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in North St. Louis County, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a destructive 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 rarely ever receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be similarly hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust North St. Louis County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your loved ones. Your North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in North St. Louis County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many North St. Louis County, MO individuals have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, persistence, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help North St. Louis County, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical costs and also manage the emotional impact of your injury just because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a North St. Louis County, MO bus accident, get in touch with the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We get started on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in North St. Louis County, MO because of someone else's careless actions, discover how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a North St. Louis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus assuming that the correct safety measures were adhered to. North St. Louis County, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a duty 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 frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the worst instances can even lead to wrongful death. The North St. Louis County, MO 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 begin investigating on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you recover the best possible compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured North St. Louis County, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those North St. Louis County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, accomplished and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for North St. Louis County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your case. You can expect a seasoned and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site immediately. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to obtain key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of North St. Louis County, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant North St. Louis County, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your health. 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 to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it necessitates so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine who needs to be held liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | North St. Louis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how frequently 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 complied with.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of steering them, slick roads or North St. Louis County, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. 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 overseen by regulatory entities, but not nearly as much as other transportation industries. A 2011 study by the National Transportation Safety Board found that The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has only 878 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some North St. Louis County, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the North St. Louis County, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The liable party may be a local North St. Louis County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your expert North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney confirm the cause of your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed 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 because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the accident took place, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that North St. Louis County, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a full 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 confirm the safety of their products and swiftly announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently flawed design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might try to shift the blame to somebody else, your North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The North St. Louis County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be calamitous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they generally take place in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the North St. Louis County, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you want to make a claim against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is essential to contact a North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at once after your accident. Do not delay, 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through driver error. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the North St. Louis County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm 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 crash in North St. Louis 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 responsible, a school district in North St. Louis County, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous or they did not carry out sufficient 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 North St. Louis County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in North St. Louis County, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to determine the exact dollar amount you are entitled to, 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 North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded maximum compensation for all of your damages.

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

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri
• Car Accident Attorney in Missouri

Call Our North St. Louis County, MO 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 North St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. 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 review.