Average Bus Accident Settlement in Missouri

The first thing we’ll tell you is that there is no reliable, statewide figure that exists, which can point to what your bus accident settlement in Missouri may be worth. This is because most settlements end up being confidential. The settlement values can also vary quite a bit depending on the facts of each bus accident case.

Generally speaking, minor injury claims may be worth tens of thousands of dollars while serious or permanent injuries could result in six- or even seven-figure settlements depending on the injuries and damages, liability and the insurance coverage that is available. The value or worth of your Missouri bus accident settlement depends on a number of factors from injury severity and medical costs to lost income and pain and suffering. Understanding these factors and scenarios will help you determine what your bus accident claim may be worth.

What is the Average Bus Accident Settlement in Missouri?

There is no one average bus accident settlement number that represents what a typical case is worth in Missouri. The value of a settlement can vary significantly depending on many factors, particularly the extent of your injuries.

There is No Reliable Statewide Average

Talking about a statewide average can be a misleading and unreliable way of looking at bus accident settlements because in most cases, these amounts are confidential. So, you cannot find them in public records. The rare verdicts that are made public may involve a high-profile incident, severe injuries, disputed liability or egregious behavior on the part of the defendants.

The varying nature of injuries also contributes to the difference in settlement values. For example, a passenger with soft-tissue injuries that heal with some rest would have a very different claim compared to someone who suffers paralysis because of a spinal cord injury. The insurance coverage that’s available can impact your compensation especially when several bus passengers are injured in the same crash and bring competing claims against the same policy limits.

The type of bus involved in the crash also matters. Insurance coverage and legal limitations can be different for a privately-operated bus and a government-operated bus.

Typical Bus Accident Settlement Ranges

Injury Severity	Illustrative Settlement Range
Minor injuries	$10,000 to $50,000
Moderate injuries	$50,000 to $150,000
Serious injuries	$150,000 to $500,000
Severe/permanent injuries	$500,000 to $1million-plus
Catastrophic injury/wrongful death	Potentially $1 million-plus

These are only general ranges to illustrate what your Missouri bus accident settlement could look like. Your case could be worth less or more depending on the factors we’ve listed above.

Missouri Bus Accident Verdict Examples

When we look at actual bus accident cases in Missouri, it’s clear why there is no meaningful single average settlement amount. The following examples list known jury verdicts because most settlement amounts are kept confidential.

· $1.878 million – Moore v. Bi-State Development Agency (Missouri Supreme Court) A Metro Call-A-Ride bus crashed into a school bus and a jury awarded $1.878 million to victims. The court later reduced that award under Missouri’s governmental liability cap.

· $625,000 – Brancati v. Bi-State Development Agency (Missouri Court of Appeals) A metro Call-A-Ride shuttle struck a bicyclist in a crosswalk. The jury awarded $625,000 and allocated 100% of the fault to the defendants.

· $350,000 – Countryman v. Seymore R-11 School District (Missouri Court of Appeals) A 7-year-old girl was struck and killed by a school bus. A jury awarded $350,000 to her family, but the judgment against the school district was reduced to $100,000 because of the statutory cap.

· $150,000 – Cole v. Warren County R-III School District (Missouri Court of Appeals) A 13-year-old school bus passenger suffered multiple injuries in a rollover crash. The jury awarded $150,000 for her personal injuries and $75,000 to the teen’s mother.

· $82,000 – Bass v. Bi-State Development Agency (Missouri Court of Appeals) A passenger was injured when a metal bolt came through a bus window. The jury awarded $82,000 for the victim who suffered eye injuries.

· $82,000 verdict – Frandeka v. St. Louis Public Service Co. (Missouri Supreme Court) The plaintiff was injured in a crash between the defendant’s bus and another vehicle. The jury returned an $82,000 verdict, but it was later reduced to $52,000.

These verdicts show the wide range of compensation that is typically available to bus accident victims in Missouri. This is why a case that’s comparable to yours is a more useful tool than an “average” amount when you’re trying to evaluate what your specific claim may be worth.

What Determines the Value of a Missouri Bus Accident Settlement?

These are just some of the factors that could determine the value of your settlement:

Severity and Permanence of the Injuries

The severity and the long-term impact of an injury can be very important factors. If you’ve suffered multiple broken bones, spinal cord trauma (paralysis), traumatic brain injuries, amputations, etc. you could be looking at a substantially higher claim. This is because such injuries may involve disfigurement, permanent disabilities or lifelong treatment, affecting your ability to earn a livelihood or simply enjoy life.

Medical Expenses and Future Treatment

Your settlement should include what you’ve spent and are continuing to spend on medical care such as emergency services, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, medication and follow-up treatment. If your doctors anticipate that you’ll need more treatment or care, the cost of that future medical care can also become an important part of your claim.

Lost Wages and Reduced Earning Capacity

You can seek compensation for income you have already lost because you needed to take time away from work. If your earning potential is reduced because you were unable to return to your job or earn the same amount of money because of your injury, you can seek additional compensation for reduced earning capacity.

Pain, Suffering and Disability

Your claim may also include non-economic damages like physical pain, emotional suffering, disability, disfigurement, loss of life’s enjoyment and so on.

Strength of Evidence

The value of your claim heavily relies on how strong the evidence in your case is. Important pieces of evidence include video footage, photos from the scene, eyewitness testimony, police crash reports, driver records, the bus’s electronic data recorder, maintenance records, etc. Evidence that can clearly show how the accident happened and who was responsible can be very important.

Available Insurance

The bus company’s or defendant’s insurance coverage can directly affect how much compensation you can recover. In cases involving multiple passengers – which is typical in bus crashes – a number of people may be vying for compensation against the same insurance policy or policies.

Does the Type of Bus Affect the Settlement?

Yes, and that’s because the type of bus usually determines who is legally responsible for your injuries and damages. Identifying who owned, operated, maintained and insured the bus is absolutely vital information.

Public Transit Buses

These are usually operated by governmental agencies or some other public transit authority. When a governmental agency is involved, special rules may apply with regard to governmental liability, statutory exceptions and damage limits.

School Buses

A school bus may be directly operated by a governmental entity such as a school district. But, often, such vehicles are operated by or may involve private transportation contractors, bus companies, private owners or maintenance companies. Determining who was operating and/or had authority can be important when it comes to identifying the liable parties and insurance coverage.

Charter and Tour Buses

These are typically operated by private companies. Depending on the circumstances, the operator may have commercial liability insurance. Other parties may also be held liable for negligent maintenance, hiring or operation.

Private Shuttle Buses

Private shuttles may include airport, hotel, casino and employer transportation vehicles. The company that’s operating the shuttle service may be separate from the company that owns or maintains the vehicle.

Regardless of who is involved, an experienced Missouri bus accident lawyer can help you determine who owned, operated, maintained and insured the bus to help identify all potential sources of compensation.

How Government Liability Impacts a Missouri Bus Accident Settlement

In Missouri, governmental entities receive what is known as “sovereign immunity.” This means they can’t be sued for every type of negligence. But at the same time, Missouri law also removes this immunity when a public employee causes a crash because of his or her negligence while on the job. So, for example, if you have been injured in a crash caused by a negligent driver while riding a government-operated bus, then you may be able to sue that governmental agency.

Limits on Claims Against Public Entities

But, even in such cases where you are allowed to sue, you may only be able to seek limited compensation from that governmental agency under Section 537.610. That limit depends on the accident date and the law that was in effect at the time.

This is why a claim involving a bus owned or operated by a city, county or school district needs a different approach compared to a case involving a private or charter bus. You need a knowledgeable lawyer who can take a look at whether governmental immunity applies to your case, the limits on compensation and the effect your accident date could have in determining your compensation.

How is a Bus Accident Settlement Calculated?

Your bus accident settlement will be calculated by taking stock of all the damages you’ve sustained.

Economic Damages

These are losses than can be quantified and documented like:

· Medical expenses: This includes ambulance charges, hospitalization, surgery, rehab costs, medication, medical equipment, etc.

· Future medical treatment: What you may spend on future medical care.

· Lost wages: Income you’ve lost because your injuries prevented you from working.

· Reduced earning capacity: When you cannot earn as much as you did before your accident because of permanent injuries or disabilities.

Noneconomic Damages

There are some damages on which you can’t put a dollar amount such as physical pain, emotional suffering, the impact of a permanent disability or disfigurement and loss of life’s enjoyment. How severe or permanent these losses are can determine what your overall claim is worth.

What Can Reduce a Missouri Bus Accident Settlement?

When different parties blame each other and refuse to take responsibility, that could affect your claim. Not having enough strong evidence such as missing video footage or limited witness testimony can make liability and damages more challenging to prove.

Comparative fault can also reduce recovery. This means if you were partially at fault, your damages could be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. So, for example, if you are found 10% responsible for an accident and have $100,000 in damages, you could still recover $90,000.

As we’ve already seen, limited insurance coverage could also reduce a settlement. When multiple passengers are injured and several claims compete for the same available coverage, your eventual recovery could be relatively reduced.

How Long Does a Missouri Bus Accident Settlement Take?

There is no one timeline in such cases. If you have a straightforward claim where liability is clear and you’ve suffered minor injuries, your claim may be resolved within months. More complex claims could take six to 18 months or even longer, especially when liability or damages are disputed. A number of other factors — such as litigation, catastrophic injuries, multiple defendants and governmental agency involvement — could all extend the process as well.

Serious injury cases may take longer because it can be important to understand the full extent of the person’s injuries before arriving at a final settlement. Taking a quick settlement can make it difficult to account for anticipated medical treatment, permanent limitations, reduced earning capacity and other long-term consequences. So, the timeline really depends on the facts of the case, the parties involved, the available evidence, your injury severity and if the claim can be resolved through negotiation or needs to go to trial.

How Much of a Bus Accident Settlement Do You Actually Receive?

The amount you actually get from a bus accident settlement may be less than the gross settlement, which is the total amount that’s paid to resolve the claim. What you get would be called a net recovery – what remains after the applicable deductions are paid. These deductions may include attorney’s fees, cost of litigation, medical liens and health insurance reimbursement claims. Medicare or Medicaid interests may also need to be addressed before you can get your settlement amount.

There is no guaranteed percentage of the settlement that you can expect to take home. Before accepting a settlement, it’s important that you understand the proposed deductions and what will remain after all the applicable amounts are deducted.

Frequently Asked Questions About Missouri Bus Accident Settlements

How much is a bus accident injury worth in Missouri?

There is no fixed amount or value. What you receive could depend on how severe your injuries are, how much you spend for medical care, lost wages and available insurance coverage, to mention a few factors.

Can a Missouri bus accident settlement exceed $1 million?

We often see seven-figure settlement amounts in cases that involve catastrophic injuries, permanent disabilities, disfigurement and wrongful death claims, provided there is enough insurance coverage. But, that doesn’t mean that all serious injuries are guaranteed a million-dollar recovery.

Are school bus accident settlements different?

School bus settlements can be different from cases that involve charter bus companies because school buses are often operated by school districts, which are governmental agencies, or by private contractors. So, in most cases, we may be looking at multiple defendants.

Can I sue the city if a public bus caused by injuries?

You may be able to because while Missouri does provide governmental agencies with immunity, there are exceptions. This is especially true when a public employee, such as a school bus driver, has been negligent on the job.

What happens if several passengers are injured?

When several bus passengers are injured, that can complicate a case because all injured victims are pursuing the same defendants. If the available insurance coverage is limited, that could affect how much each injured person can get when the dust settles.

Do Missouri bus accident cases usually settle?

Yes, many personal injury claims do settle out of court. But when a case is more complicated, involves significant injuries or damages, disputes may arise. A trial may become necessary.

Get an Accurate Estimate of Your Missouri Bus Accident Claim

An accurate assessment of your Missouri bus accident claim should consider how severely you’ve been injured, your medical costs, future treatment, lost income, permanent disability, responsible defendants, available insurance and any government involvement. If you’ve been injured in a Missouri bus accident, our Kansas City bus accident attorneys can review the circumstances of your case and explain your potential options. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.