Bus Accident Attorney in St. Clair, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in St. Clair, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a devastating 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 get equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be equally as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust St. Clair, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in St. Clair and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many St. Clair, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, persistence, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help St. Clair, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical bills and also handle the emotional trauma of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a St. Clair, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We get started on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in St. Clair, MO because of another person's careless behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a St. Clair, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the appropriate safety protocols were followed. St. Clair, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have an obligation to follow, but sometimes they neglect 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 truly recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The St. Clair, 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 start investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you recover the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured St. Clair, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those St. Clair, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for St. Clair, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your claim. You can anticipate an accomplished and skilled 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 on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, as well as key details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of St. Clair, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to ensure you get it.
• Stand up to resistant St. Clair, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your injuries. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We take control of all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every category of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out who is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | St. Clair, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 took place.
• Driver behavior. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to an egregious 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 committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly those that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy 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 frequently they have to take a break, those rules are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not mandatory or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ mass and the intricacy of steering them, slippery roads or St. Clair, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 personnel 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 often cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections needed. Some St. Clair, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the St. Clair, MO road, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local St. Clair, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. Despite saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that St. Clair, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be a consequence of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your St. Clair, 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 took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. 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 shift the blame to someone else, your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The St. Clair or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they typically happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the St. Clair, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury claims. If you seek 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 crucial to reach out to a St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your accident. 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 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 reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash through driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the St. Clair, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish 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 responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may shoulder a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can hurt you. If you were hurt in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are liable 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 St. Clair and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus crashes. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in St. Clair, 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 perform 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 St. Clair, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will generally depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in St. Clair, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating 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 St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded 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 costs, 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 determine the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover the best possible 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 St. Clair, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to secure you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.