Bus Accident Attorney in O'Fallon, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in O'Fallon, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a catastrophic 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 hardly ever receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust O'Fallon, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the maximum compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in O'Fallon and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their negligent actions. Many O'Fallon, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help O'Fallon, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also deal with the emotional shock of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a O'Fallon, MO 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 evaluation. We begin working on your case at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in O'Fallon, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless actions, learn how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus under the assumption that the correct safety measures were adhered to. O'Fallon, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you recover the maximum compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured O'Fallon, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those O'Fallon, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be unforgiving to O'Fallon, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can anticipate an experienced and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site the first chance we get. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time of the day or night in order to secure essential evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved 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 financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security 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. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of O'Fallon, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Stand up to resistant O'Fallon, MO 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 weasel their way out of their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until you get maximum compensation. If you or someone you care about has been hurt 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 requires 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 O'Fallon, 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 accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially those that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those rules are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of driving them, icy roads or O'Fallon, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some O'Fallon, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults 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 signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the O'Fallon, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local O'Fallon, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your knowledgeable O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney confirm the cause of your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident took place, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that O'Fallon, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently dangerous design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their actions.

The O'Fallon or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people involved and because they generally transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the O'Fallon, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury cases. 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 vital to call a O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 driving 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 looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the O'Fallon, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases 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 harm you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the category of bus crash we most commonly see in O'Fallon 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 O'Fallon, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not conduct adequate 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 O'Fallon, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the gravity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in O'Fallon, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure a fair 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to compute 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you receive 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 O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past two decades to secure you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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.