St. Louis Bus Accidents

Whether you use a bus for your day to day transportation or use a bus to travel across the state, the use of buses is a prevalent mode of transportation. With so many people relying on the skills, concentration, and ability of one driver to get them where they need to be safely, unfortunately incidents can and do occur. The Law Offices of Kevin J. Dolley, located in St. Louis, Missouri, provides skilled legal counsel in bus accident cases.

Buses have an extreme size advantage over most cars on the roadway. The size makes basic operation more difficult than a smaller vehicle. With added weight, these passenger vehicles take the utmost care to drive without error. When involved in an accident, buses can cause catastrophic damage to the property involved in the incident, the other drivers, and the passengers of the bus.

Types of Buses

Many cities rely on buses for their service to public transportation. St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, St. Joseph, Jefferson City and Joplin all have their own public transportation system that includes the use of public buses. This service is usually provided to offer a cheap alternative transportation to urban areas. These public buses are funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation and are owned by the state.

Private buses are a common occurrence when large groups of individuals hire a private bus company to transports them to an event or the group my hire a private bus to take them to a specific destination. These buses are privately owned and operated and are still governed by public transportation rules and regulations.

School buses are depended on heavily to transport our children to and from school safely. The Missouri Department of Education is responsible for the supervision and upkeep of all safety regulations regarding the use of a school bus to a school. These buses are usually owned by the school district but can be contracted out to a private company.

Bus Accidents

There are many factors that can contribute to a bus accident. Drivers have immense responsibility to maintain supreme amounts of knowledge and ability on the day-to-day operation of whatever bus they may drive. Each driver must go through professional specialized training to become a licensed driver. The accidents can deal with many types of situational factors such as weather or traffic but are commonly include driver error, substance abuse, and fatigue.

Who is At Fault?

Due to the certifications that are required in order to become a bus driver, Missouri considers an owner of a bus to be a “common carrier” which is generally states that the owner and driver have a common goal of transporting goods and/or people over a set schedule. This means that drivers must use the utmost diligence when transporting people or goods. These regulations mean that any action outside of what is expected

Free St. Louis Bus Accident Consultation

To set a free consultation with Attorney Kevin J. Dolley regarding your bus accident, please call (314) 645-4100 or email kevin@dolleylaw.com. All legal consultations are held strictly confidential.