Bus Accident Attorney in West St. Louis County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in West St. Louis County, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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 receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust West St. Louis County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their duty and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in West St. Louis County and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their reckless behavior. Our West St. Louis County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and in total we have won 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 West St. Louis County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a West St. Louis County, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We start working on your case at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in West St. Louis County, MO because of somebody else's reckless behavior, learn how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

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

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus assuming that the appropriate safety arrangements were obeyed. West St. Louis County, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have an obligation to obey, but sometimes they neglect those obligations 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 effects or in the most tragic cases can even result in wrongful death. The West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured West St. Louis County, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those West St. Louis County, MO 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 empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be unforgiving to West St. Louis County, 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 fight. When you hire our West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate an experienced and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to obtain key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are often a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of West St. Louis County, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate 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 ensure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant West St. Louis County, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your health. 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 deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus safely you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled West 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 find out what entity is liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver behavior. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are often <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 hazards. Given buses’ mass and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slippery roads or West St. Louis County, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies 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 over 765,000 motor carriers, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some West St. Louis County, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the West St. Louis County, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local West St. Louis County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your experienced West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

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 certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. Despite saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit drowsiness. 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 reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have said that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that West St. Louis County, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your West St. Louis County, MO 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 wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to ensure the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls in the event of a defective product. 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 attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their actions.

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

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the amount of people involved and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the West St. Louis County, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. 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 urgent to reach out to a West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash because of negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the West St. Louis County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart 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 auto collision, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may shoulder a portion 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 talented and accomplished West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish 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 West St. Louis County 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 West St. Louis County, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor or they did not perform 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 West St. Louis County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in West St. Louis County, MO and a couple weeks 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 West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive a maximum 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 with our network of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded 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 West St. Louis County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your West St. Louis County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past two decades to get you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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.