School Bus Accident Lawyer St. Louis, MO. Every day, thousands of children in St. Louis and across Missouri get on yellow school buses to go to and from school or after-school activities such as sporting events. While most of these journeys are done safely and securely, they have all the ingredients to cause accidents. From stopping regularly to unload learners to having to make tight turns while filled with children, school bus accidents are some of the most dangerous ones on St. Louis, MO roads.
No matter the circumstances that caused your St. Louis, MO school bus accident, the experienced personal injury lawyers at Combs Waterkotte are here to listen to your story and fight for your rights. Our firm has helped many people from all over St. Louis, MO get the compensation they deserve following all sorts of accidents and places client satisfaction at the center of everything they do. Call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP to speak with an attorney and schedule a free consultation.
What To Do If Your Child Is Injured In A School Bus Accident in St. Louis, Missouri
Studies have shown that children are usually safer taking the bus to school rather than riding in a personal car. However, when school bus accidents happen they are often tragic occurrences. Roughly seven children are killed in school bus accidents each year, and an average of 5,000 injuries are caused by school bus accidents, according to data gathered over a recent 10-year period.
Injuries are caused both by bus crashes themselves as well as non-crash incidents. Many bus crashes are the result of school busses being older and not having adequate seat belts, or while seat belts are installed on a bus they are not required to be worn by passengers. A theory known as “compartmentalization” regards a bus to be safe even without lap and shoulder restraints; however, this does not always prevent children from experiencing the effects from rollovers or side-impact collisions.
Children also can be injured while getting on or off a bus, or walking across the street to a bus stop. These incidents often involve other cars, with devastating injuries as a result, doubly so if you are the injured child’s parent. Our firm understands the pain felt by these families and wants to help you and your family get the medical care needed after a traumatic school bus accident.
School Bus Accident Liability in Missouri
School bus drivers, and the companies or organizations that operate them, have some of the highest standards of accident liability in Missouri. This is because they are considered “common carriers” of children, who are expected by all to be kept safe and secure.
Depending on how a school bus accident occurred, multiple parties could be deemed liable for you or your child’s injury, such as:
- The bus driver
- The school district that operates the bus
- The school board
- A bus operating company contracted by the school board
- The bus manufacturer
- The company responsible for maintaining/repairing the bus
- The driver of another car or truck
- Local government that maintains the roads
Thousands of St. Louis-area families place their children in the care of school bus drivers and companies every day. If any and all parties are found to be neglectful in their duty to keep them safe, they should rightly be held accountable for any injuries or property damage sustained.
Contact A School Bus Accident Lawyer in St. Louis, MO
At Combs Waterkotte, we understand that the health and safety of your children is one of the most important concerns you have in your life. When someone threatens their safety or causes them harm due to negligence, our St. Louis, MO personal injury attorneys will fight aggressively on their behalf and advocate for their maximum compensation. Our firm also recognizes the trauma a school bus accident can have on families in St. Louis, MO, which is why we offer all our personal injury clients access to a network of expert mental and physical health professionals to help them get through the aftermath of their school bus accident. Best of all, we take all our St. Louis, MO school bus accident cases on a “no-win, no-fee” basis.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a school bus accident, Combs Waterkotte is ready to talk to you. Contact us today> for a free, no-obligation case review.
