Bus Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL

Bus Accident Attorney in Madison County, IL. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a destructive bus accident, take control of 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 often be equally as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Madison County, IL bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you secure the maximum compensation that you deserve 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 Madison County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held accountable for their negligent actions. Many Madison County, IL families have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, persistence, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Madison County, IL residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey 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 injured in a Madison County, IL bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We get started on your case immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Madison County, IL because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Madison County, IL Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus supposing that the appropriate safety protocols were obeyed. Madison County, IL bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they are supposed to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible instances can even result in wrongful death. The Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case immediately, and work tirelessly until you win the full compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Madison County, IL individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Madison County, IL insurance companies fear 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 tenacious 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 difficult to comprehend for Madison County, IL residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Madison County, IL bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your claim. You can bank on a seasoned 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to obtain important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Madison County, IL bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Madison County, IL auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence 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 use our experience and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Madison County, IL 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 claim. 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 refuses to 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 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 committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it requires so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Madison County, IL 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 needs to be held liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Madison County, IL 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 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate 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 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 often <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’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, icy roads or Madison County, IL construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Madison County, IL bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous 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
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Madison County, IL road, the better your chances of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Madison County, IL 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 accomplished Madison County, IL bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. Despite insisting that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed 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 because of driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Madison County, IL buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine maintenance or neglecting 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.

Finally, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Madison County, IL 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 transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 place the blame on somebody else, your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Madison County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people who could be injured and because they often happen in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Madison County, IL government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability claims. If you want 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 crucial to call a Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at once 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 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 careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash through driver error. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Madison County, IL road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible 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 well-being 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 aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, 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 harm you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned Madison County, IL bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Madison 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 Madison County, IL may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not conduct 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 Madison County, IL Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will usually depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Madison County, IL and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a disastrous 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 Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded a great 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to determine 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Madison County, IL bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect maximum compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Illinois
• Wrongful Death Lawyers in Illinois
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Illinois
• Car Accident Attorney in Illinois

Call Our Madison County, IL Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Madison County, IL bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent 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 are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, do not wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.