Bus Accident Attorney in Union, MO

If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a destructive bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (573) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents rarely receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Union, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Union and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their reckless actions. Our Union, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, commitment, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Union, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical costs and also manage the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Union, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (573) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We get started on your claim straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Union, MO because of another person’s careless behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Union, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus under the assumption that the proper safety protocols were obeyed. Union, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a responsibility to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic cases can even cause wrongful death. The Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you win the best possible compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Union, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those Union, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, accomplished and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be unforgiving to Union, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Union, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your claim. You can bank on a veteran and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site the first chance we get. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time during the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are typically many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Union, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Union, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to make certain you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Union, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until you are fairly compensated. If you or a family member has been injured in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Union, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Union, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a severe offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently they have to take a break, those rules are frequently <a href=”https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noreferrer noopener title=”CNN”not required or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the intricacy of driving them, slippery roads or Union, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law’s bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but not close to as much as other transportation industries. A 2011 study by the National Transportation Safety Board found that The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has only 878 inspectors responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep up with the amount of inspections required. Some Union, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Union, MO road, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Union, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your skilled Union, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Union, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company’s duty. A bus accident could be a consequence of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company’s hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to verify the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls if a product is discovered to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to place the blame on someone else, your Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Union or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people involved and because they usually transpire in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Union, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. If you want to make a claim against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is vital to call a Union, MO bus accident attorney right away after your injury. There is no time to wait, call the trusted Burger Law bus accident injury lawyers now at (573) 500-HURT.

Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 grants sovereign immunity to government entities and employees except against a government employee who was operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident because of driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Union, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Union, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most typically see in Union and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus accidents. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in Union, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially bad or they did not carry out proper background checks when hiring drivers.

Below are some helpful links and frequently asked questions for bus accident injuries and other types of injuries:

• Do I have to Talk to the Insurance Company Before I Talk to a Lawyer?
• How Much to Expect in an Auto Accident Settlement
• What Happens During Litigation?
• Does My Family Have a Wrongful Death Claim?
• Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

What Compensation Can A Bus Accident Attorney in Union, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally depend on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Union, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have experienced a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you collect a maximum financial recovery for all of the pain and inconvenience your injury has caused and will continue to cause. Missouri Senate Bill 239 defines the damages you can receive as:

• Economic damages, including:
  • Medical costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We use our team of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you deserve, accounting for inflation for future lost earning potential or future medical expenses.

• Noneconomic damages, including:
  • pain and suffering
  • mental anguish
  • inconvenience
  • physical impairment
  • disfigurement
  • loss of capacity to enjoy life
  • loss of consortium

However grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law’s Union, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you recover full compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Union, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Union, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (573) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary consultation.