St. Louis Bus Accident Injury Attorneys

Injured in a Bus Accident?  Contact our injury attorneys at (314) 448-0934 for an immediate consultation.

The increasing number of persons injured in bus accidents is shocking.  Unlike plane crashes, bus accidents occur frequently in North America and often with catastrophic results.  Every day, Americans board buses that lack proper safety equipment and are driven by grossly under-trained or unqualified drivers.  A few recent highly publicized bus accidents with tragic results:

• 2005: 23 elderly Texas citizens were killed during the Hurricane Katrina evacuation aboard a chartered bus.  Just prior to arriving in Houston, the bus caught fire and burned all passengers as they tried to escape the inferno.  The NTSB investigated the crash and uncovered that the bus had not been properly maintained and that the driver did not have a valid drivers license.
• 2007: 7 people are killed and another 28 are seriously injured when a bus transporting Bluffton University college students flips over on a freeway.  Investigators determine that passenger seat belts may well have saved some of the lives lost that afternoon aboard the bus.
• August 2008: A chartered bus transporting a church group crashes near Dallas, killing 17 passengers and seriously injuring another 33.  Authorities determine that the bus company had illegally placed a recapped tire on the bus steering axle.  It is also found that the bus drivers mandatory medical examination certificate had expired and that enhanced safety equipment would likely have saved lives.
• October 2008: 10 people are killed and more than a dozen seriously injured in Northern California.  The California State Highway Patrol investigates the crash and finds that the bus had an invalid Texas license plate and invalid registration numbers.  The bus driver was suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

What do learn more about what causes bus driver fatigue?  See the Bus Driver Fatigue Insider Report prepared for the Federal Highway Administration.

Lack of Adequate Safety Measures

Compared with safety measures currently used in planes, automobiles, and even passenger trains, passenger safety in buses is largely deficient.  Lets start with seat belts.  Legislators have been pushing mandatory seat belt implementation in buses for almost 30 years.  Critics in the charter bus industry argue that mandatory seat belt use would be too expensive and would add too much weight to a bus.  This argument continues to be successful at the expense of passengers livelihood.

The structural integrity of a bus roof is also a major safety concern.  The survivability of passengers involved in a bus crash often times depends upon the strength of the roof.  Current strength in bus pillars between the windows is minimal due to the desire of the bus company to use large windows for passenger viewing.  Currently the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) views bus roof strength as a top priority for future legislation.

Deficient Oversight

The primary problem is not the rules, but current enforcement of them.  Bus operators are not concerned that they will be fined or shut down if they fail to observe current laws.  The fact of the matter is that most operators are not shut down until its too late and a major catastrophic crash has already taken place. 

Many of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) relate to driver qualification and licensing.  Drivers must undergo a vigorous medical examination every 6 months in order to maintain their licensure.  Believe it or not, bus drivers are in high demand.  Due to a high demand and low supply, bus company operators are placing just about anyone behind the wheel of a charter bus, at the ultimate expense of passenger safety.

Following the 2007 Bluffton University crash, the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act was proposed to improve passenger protection aboard buses, implement crash-avoidance safety features, improve oversight into motor coach operators and driver qualification, and improved technology to track commercial drivers' hours and locations.

What Should I Do After a Bus Crash?

1. Medical Care:  Always seek medical treatment immediately at the scene of the crash, even if you "feel okay." 
2. Investigations:  The hours and days following a bus crash are absolutely critical for obtaining data before it is mysteriously "lost." Getting to the scene as soon as possible can often times make or a case.
3. Evidence:  Your injury case largely depends upon photographs and evidence obtained at the scene.  Schultz Legal Group lawyers dispatch a scene investigation team immediately. 
4. Inspection:  Inspection of the bus itself is crucial in determining what factors could have contributed to the cause of the crash.
5. Follow the NTSB:  Serious bus accidents are almost always thoroughly investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.  Following these federal investigations can uncover preliminary facts quickly.

Want to learn more about how insurance companies evaluate injury claims?  Click here to get an inside look from the perspective of the insurance claims adjuster.  Simply put, insurance adjusters have absolutely no interest in being fair to the injury victim. There are bonuses and other incentives (paid trips, cruises, gifts) offered to the claims adjusters who settle the most claims for the least amount of money.  Don't be victimized twice!  Contact the bus accident injury attorneys at Schultz Legal Group today and get the compensation you deserve!

If you have been seriously injured or have lost a loved one due to the negligent operation of a commercial bus, contact St. Louis Bus Injury and Accident Lawyer Stephen Schultz.  Get the experience of Schultz Legal Group on your side by calling us at (314) 448-0934, (866) 840-3636, or by email today.  Don't be victimized twice.