Bus Accident Attorney in Boone County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Boone County, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a destructive 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 the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Boone County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Boone County and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Boone County, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Boone County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also handle the emotional scars of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Boone County, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We start working on your case right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Boone County, MO because of someone else's reckless actions, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Boone County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus under the impression that that the adequate safety protocols were followed. Boone County, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to respect, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you win the full compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Boone County, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those Boone County, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to Boone County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Boone County, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate an experienced and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to obtain key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are typically other passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional 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 conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Boone County, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Boone County, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Boone County, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your health. 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 refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed 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 oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus 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 someone you care about has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Boone County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every category of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Boone County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and 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 took place.
• Driver action. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a severe offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly those that drive for commercial bus lines 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 enforced or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of steering them, slick roads or Boone County, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies 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 personnel responsible for reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep up with the amount of inspections needed. Some Boone County, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to make certain that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Boone County, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Boone County, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Boone County, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. Despite insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely 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 riders have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Boone County, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's duty. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially susceptible 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 sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls if a product is found to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently defective design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Boone County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Boone County, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you seek 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 necessary to reach out to a Boone County, MO bus accident attorney straight away 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 reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash due to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Boone County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you go on board 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 committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may shoulder a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Boone County, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most commonly see in Boone County 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 at fault, a school district in Boone County, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not conduct sufficient 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 Boone County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Boone County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you are awarded a full 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Boone County, 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 Boone County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Boone County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.