Bus Accident Attorney in Chesterfield, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Chesterfield, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a devastating 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 receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Chesterfield, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Chesterfield, 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 more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Chesterfield and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless actions. Our Chesterfield, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Chesterfield, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Chesterfield, MO bus accident, call 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 straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Chesterfield, MO because of somebody else's negligent actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Chesterfield, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus supposing that the proper safety arrangements were followed. Chesterfield, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they have an obligation to obey, but sometimes they neglect 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 really recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Chesterfield, 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 work relentlessly until you win the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Chesterfield, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they are owed. Those Chesterfield, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can anticipate a veteran 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 acquire key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and 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. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Chesterfield, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence 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 entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Chesterfield, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your claim. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks 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 expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner 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 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?

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 Chesterfield, 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 what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Chesterfield, 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, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a severe 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 crashes had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep at 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 rules 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 conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of maneuvering them, icy roads or Chesterfield, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Chesterfield, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are required to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical 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
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Chesterfield, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Chesterfield, 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 properly repair it.

Once your expert Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to confirm who is liable 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 at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often 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 owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Chesterfield, MO buses are adequately 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 may be the result of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Chesterfield, 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 wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to certify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently defective 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 attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Chesterfield or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people involved and because they typically take place in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Chesterfield, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability claims. If you seek to make a claim 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 necessary to contact a Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney at once after your injury. 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 a negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash due to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Chesterfield, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances 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 hurt you. If you were injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Chesterfield, 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 the type of bus accident we most typically see in Chesterfield 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 responsible, a school district in Chesterfield, MO may also be held accountable, for instance 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 Chesterfield, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically depend on the gravity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Chesterfield, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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 use 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly 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:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Chesterfield, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Chesterfield, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, trustworthy and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible 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.