Bus Accident Attorney in St. Clair, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in St. Clair, MO. If you or a family member 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 ever receive equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be equally as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust St. Clair, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or the people you care about. Your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the full compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in St. Clair and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Many St. Clair, MO residents 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, commitment, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help St. Clair, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical bills and also handle the emotional shock of your injury just because another person broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a St. Clair, MO 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 review. We get started on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

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

Do I Need a St. Clair, 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 driver and you got on the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety protocols were followed. St. Clair, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have a responsibility to follow, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even lead to wrongful death. The St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you are awarded the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured St. Clair, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those St. Clair, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can expect 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to obtain important evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
• Use our network of St. Clair, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our savvy and expertise to ensure you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant St. Clair, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your injuries. 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole 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 are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted 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 operating a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled St. Clair, MO 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 determine who is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | St. Clair, 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 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly the ones 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 sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently they have to take a break, those regulations are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or complied with.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of steering them, slick roads or St. Clair, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be 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 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 personnel responsible for reviews for over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections required. Some St. Clair, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are adequately 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 common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the St. Clair, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local St. Clair, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your skilled St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often 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 owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have said that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that St. Clair, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your St. Clair, 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 crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to confirm the safety of their vehicles and swiftly announce recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. 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 may attempt to place the blame on someone else, your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The St. Clair or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they generally happen in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the St. Clair, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities 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 accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is necessary to call a St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney straight away 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 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 due to negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the St. Clair, 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 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 responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear 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 injure you. If you were hurt in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair, 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 carry out 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 St. Clair, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in St. Clair, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating 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 St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you secure 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 utilize 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's St. Clair, 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 St. Clair, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your St. Clair, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to win you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. 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 free case evaluation.