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Bus Accident Attorney in Agency, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Agency, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a disastrous bus accident, take the first step in your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.
Bus accidents rarely get equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be just as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Agency, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Agency, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Agency and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their careless actions. Many Agency, MO families have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, resolution, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Agency, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also manage the emotional shock of your injury only because somebody else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Agency, MO bus accident, get in touch with the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We get started on your case right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Agency, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless behavior, discover how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Agency, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus assuming that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Agency, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Agency, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you get the full compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Agency, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Agency, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Agency, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Agency, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your case. You can bank on a seasoned and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time of the day or night in order to obtain essential evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically other people who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Agency, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Work alongside our network of Agency, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you collect it.
- Stand up to resistant Agency, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
- Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.
Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been harmed in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.
Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?
Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Agency, 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 discover what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Agency, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
- Driver action. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that drive for 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 at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or followed.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of steering them, icy roads or Agency, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that applies case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, but much less than 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 reviews for over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Agency, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Faulty or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Insufficient lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Agency, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Agency, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not properly repair it.
Once your skilled Agency, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the accident took place, which is an example of distracted driving.
Making sure that Agency, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.
Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Agency, 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 crash occurred.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to verify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a faulty product. 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 might try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Agency, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their behavior.
The Agency or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people involved and because they typically take place in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Agency, MO government, there are special 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 seek to file a suit against a municipality or government employee, you must file it within 90 days of the accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is essential to get in touch with a Agency, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your accident. There is no time to wait, call the trusted Burger Law bus accident injury lawyers now at (314) 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 a negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Agency, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend 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 sure that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle crash, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can hurt you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Agency, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the type of bus accident we most commonly see in Agency and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Agency, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous or they did not conduct 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 Agency, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Agency, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a disastrous spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Agency, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure a fair 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 capacity
We work with our team of medical and economic experts to determine the exact dollar amount you are entitled to, 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 Agency, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you are awarded full compensation for all of your damages.
Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:
- Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
- Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri
- Car Accident Attorney in Missouri
Call Our Agency, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Agency, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.