Bus Accident Attorney in Ste. Genevieve, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Ste. Genevieve, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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 hardly ever receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be similarly harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Ste. Genevieve, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed 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 Ste. Genevieve and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless actions. Many Ste. Genevieve, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Ste. Genevieve, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury just because another person did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We get started on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Ste. Genevieve, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Ste. Genevieve, 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 driver and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the appropriate safety arrangements were followed. Ste. Genevieve, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case immediately, and work tirelessly until you win the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Ste. Genevieve, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they entitled to. Those Ste. Genevieve, 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, accomplished and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complicated and can be unforgiving to Ste. Genevieve, 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 standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your claim. You can anticipate an accomplished and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site immediately. 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 secure important evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are almost always many people who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Use our network of Ste. Genevieve, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Ste. Genevieve, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your well-being. 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 does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We oversee 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 you are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about 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 it requires 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 Ste. Genevieve, 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 discover what entity is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Ste. Genevieve, 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, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 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 owing to a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy 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 frequently 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 mandatory or followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Ste. Genevieve, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some Ste. Genevieve, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• 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
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Ste. Genevieve, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Ste. Genevieve, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney confirm the cause of your crash, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered 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 certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely 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 because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Ste. Genevieve, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be a consequence of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Ste. Genevieve, 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 accident 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 issue recalls if a product is found to be faulty. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 might attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Ste. Genevieve or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they often happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Ste. Genevieve, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury cases. If you seek 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 vital to get in touch with a Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your injury. 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 an accident through driver error. 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 Ste. Genevieve, 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 board 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 sure that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may shoulder a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are responsible 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 Ste. Genevieve 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 at fault, a school district in Ste. Genevieve, 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 Ste. Genevieve, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Ste. Genevieve, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a disastrous 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 Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We use our network of medical and economic experts to compute 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get 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 Ste. Genevieve, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Ste. Genevieve, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to get you the maximum 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 evaluation.