Bus Accident Attorney in O'Fallon, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in O'Fallon, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt 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 almost never get equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be similarly hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust O'Fallon, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you get the full compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in O'Fallon and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their thoughtless behavior. Our O'Fallon, MO clients 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 determination, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help O'Fallon, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also handle the emotional shock of your injury just because another person broke the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a O'Fallon, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We begin working on your claim right away, 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 O'Fallon, MO because of somebody else's negligent behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus supposing that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. O'Fallon, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have an obligation to respect, but sometimes they neglect 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 lifelong effects or in the worst instances can even lead to wrongful death. The O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and will not let up until you receive the best possible compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured O'Fallon, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those O'Fallon, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to O'Fallon, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your case. You can bank on a seasoned 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to secure important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Use our network of O'Fallon, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our savvy and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant O'Fallon, 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 weasel their way out of their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take the fight to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

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 spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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?

Because it takes 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 was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled O'Fallon, 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 discover what entity needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing 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 been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy 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 regulations 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 followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or O'Fallon, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, but not close to 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 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some O'Fallon, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the O'Fallon, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local O'Fallon, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your expert O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your crash, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that O'Fallon, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either failing to provide routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must 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 permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they might try to place the blame on somebody else, your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The O'Fallon or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the amount of people involved and because they often transpire in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the O'Fallon, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury claims. If you seek to file a suit 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 necessary to call a O'Fallon, MO 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 driving 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 wreck owing to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the O'Fallon, MO 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned O'Fallon, 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 crash in O'Fallon and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in O'Fallon, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous 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 O'Fallon, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in O'Fallon, 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 remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you collect 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 capacity

  We work with our network 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you recover maximum 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 O'Fallon, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your O'Fallon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to secure you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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.