Charter Bus Crash in Laclede County, MO

By The Cagle Law Firm | October 29, 2025 | Bus Accidents, Featured

According to Ozarks First News, a charter bus carrying students on their way to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana was involved in a one-vehicle collision this morning on Highway A near Phillipsburg.   According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were no serious or life-threatening injuries, thankfully.  Conway High School stepped up and served as shelter, food and reunification for the out of town students and adults from Bolivar, Fair Play and Dadeville Schools.

Charter bus crashes where individuals are serious injured works differently than say city public transit buses.  Charter busses are conventionally one of the most safe ways to travel on the roadway.  From the reports, it is gratifying that no students were seriously injured or this would be a very different kind of story.  When the phrase “bus accident” occurs, most think school buses or the city buses, however, charter bus injury claims work differently.

Charter Buses

Charter buses are statistically one of the safer ways to travel the interstates. Charter buses are regulated through the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) much as commerical vehicles like semi-trucks.  The reason they are regulated stringently is because of the size of the vehicle and of course, the likelihood of dozens of injured people.  When an individual or group charter a bus, they are paying for some specific safety regulations as well as comfort.  It is much more comfortable to take a multi-hour trip in the comfort of a charter bus than a school bus.  In addition to comfort, the safety regulations and supervision is the real plus.

More often than not, there can be dozens of folks injured in a charter bus crash. Yet, each injured individual has an injury claim.  Often, people who are a part of a group think they must enter into a group settlement, however, that is not really looking out for each individual.   Charter bus transportation companies are commerical carriers thus have commerical level insurance.  Unlike city buses that can carry a limited amount of insurance.  If you are injured, an attorney is your best option to be sure that you are protected and are able to received the compensation you need for medical recovery.

Steps After a Charter Bus Collision

Thankfully, today’s crash did not involve horrible scenes. However, when any parent sends their teen off to a national event, they want to feel they have put their kids in good hands. Often, the charter bus option is superior to cramming folks into a van–depending on the size of your party and the distance.  When leasing a charter bus, the federal regulations for the driver include that they must have a valid CDL license and adhere to hours-of-service requirements. Chartering qualified drivers that must follow strict rules is the reason that charter buses tend to have fewer crashes. As stated, when they do crash, they can have a lot of injured people.  If you’ve been involved in a charter bus crash, the steps can be pretty simple.

1. Get immediate medical help
2. Do not talk to any insurance adjusters or give any statements.  Again, if you are a passenger on a charter bus, the odds are that you were not watching the road and not required to do so. Generally, as a passenger on a bus, you don’t really know what caused a crash.   Thus, hold off on giving any statements about how the crash occurred. Most importantly, do not discuss your injuries right away.
3. Talk to an Attorney.   Again, if you are hurt, it is going to take some time to see how you recover from your injury. That is not going to be determined in the first few days. Do not start reading your ER discharge papers to the adjuster. Ultimately, the adjuster is not looking out for you.
4. Often, insurance adjusters are quick to attempt to resolve claims in hours or a few days under the guise of “good customer service”.  However, folks that are hurt have no idea in the first few days of what their treatment is going to need to be.  Hence, an insurance adjuster would love to settle your claim before you actually figure out what is wrong with you.
5. You only get one chance.  You have only one opportunity to protect yourself and look out for your medical future.  The process has to be done correctly the first time.  If you settle an injury claim based on one trip to the ER, then you cannot come back and recoup future medical costs should you discover in two months that you need surgery.  Follow your doctor’s recommendations to maximize your full physical recovery.

Injury Cases Are Against the Transportation Company and the Insurance Carrier

It is important to remember that when you are on a charter bus, injury claims that you make are not against the group name that chartered the bus.  Thus, regarding the crash today, those injured would probably not be making an injury claim against their respective school districts.  When a group charters a bus, they are paying for that increased in safety and commerical level insurance.  Commercial level coverage usually begins at a minimum of $1Million.  More often than not, a charter bus transportation company ensures their buses and riders for far more than $1Million.  Common carrier liability covers damages for injuries or losses caused by its vehicles or its operation.  Common carriers are held to a higher duty of car, meaning they must take more precautions to ensure passenger safety.  And, this can make it easier to hold them liable for negligence.  Regarding today’s collision, we are not speculating on the cause or causes.

Common Causes of Charter Bus Crashes

Like any motor vehicle on the roadway, buses are subject to the same causes such as other vehicle violating road rules, inclement weather and fatigued drivers.  However, charter bus companies are held liable for driving errors their drivers may make such as driving fatigued, distracted driving or dangerous driving.  Other causes include failure to maintain the vehicle, failing to follow hours-of-service regulations, and faulty hiring practices.  Each collision is unique as are the people involved.

What Can an Attorney Do For Me?

If you are injured in a charter bus, it is not the same scenario as being the driver in a two-vehicle collision.  Often, passengers on a charter bus do not have access to all of the evidence needed to build an injury claim. At The Cagle Law Firm, we know the first few days after a crash are crucial.  Collecting the crash reports from law enforcement including statements is hard to do on your own. Depending on the severity of the injuries, accident reconstruction experts may need to be hired and physical evidence preserved.   As a group of injured people, your specific injuries and well-being is not the focus.  When you are not the one coordinating information, it can feel like you have no control over your situation.  Our attorneys get involved immediately to secure and gather evidence.

If you are hurt, your physical recovery is going to take some time.  Like most, you have a whole life going on before and after this collision and do not really have the time or expertise to investigate a case while seeking medical treatment. Honestly, insurance adjusters do not deal with unrepresented individuals the same.  It does not matter how smart or business savvy you may be, adjusters simply deal with expert lawyers differently.

An attorney handles all of the legal work so that you can focus on your physical recovery.  Your physical recovery is not the easy part.  Those who are injured spend weeks and months following up with doctors and specialists. It can become very overwhelming just keeping up with appointments and co-payments.

Free Consultations

Not everyone needs a lawyer.  It is hands-down better to get a free consultation so you can know what to do in the first few hours, days and weeks after an injury crash.  We would much rather give you information to protect yourself than for you to realize months later that mistakes were made.  Call us 314.276.1681 or toll free 1.800.685.3302

About The Author

The Cagle Law Firm

View all posts by The Cagle Law Firm →