Bus Accident Attorney in St. James, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in St. James, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a catastrophic bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents rarely ever get equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust St. James, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect the full compensation that you are owed 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 St. James and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their reckless behavior. Our St. James, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help St. James, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical costs and also work through the emotional trauma of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a St. James, 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 consultation. We get started on your claim 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 St. James, MO because of somebody else's careless actions, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

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

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus presuming that the proper safety protocols were adhered to. St. James, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they are supposed to follow, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most tragic cases can even cause wrongful death. The St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you get the maximum compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured St. James, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those St. James, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to St. James, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our St. James, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can expect a seasoned and savvy 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 essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are generally a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to important 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. A lot of different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law St. James, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of St. James, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries 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 St. James, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get full compensation. If you or a loved one 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 bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled St. James, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every kind of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out who needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to an egregious offense such as driving while 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, such as speeding, being sleepy 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how frequently 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 required or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of driving them, slippery roads or St. James, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some St. James, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the St. James, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local St. James, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert St. James, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to confirm who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally 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 riders to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed as too many breaks could lead to 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 riders have said that their driver was eating when the crash occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that St. James, MO buses are properly 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 a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently defective 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 someone else, your St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The St. James or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually occur in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the St. James, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability cases. 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 call a St. James, MO 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to driver error. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the St. James, MO 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 board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are frequently two or more drivers, 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 injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished St. James, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most commonly see in St. James and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus accidents. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in St. James, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly poor or they did not carry out 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. James, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will usually depend on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in St. James, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have experienced a disastrous 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 St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you collect a full 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 capacity

  We utilize our team of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 St. James, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you receive 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. James, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your St. James, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 complimentary consultation.