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Bus Accident Attorney in Boonville, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Boonville, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a devastating 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 hardly ever receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be equally as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Boonville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Boonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you secure the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Boonville and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Many Boonville, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Boonville, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also manage the emotional impact of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Boonville, 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 complimentary consultation. We get started 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 Boonville, MO because of another person's negligent behavior, learn how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Boonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the adequate safety protocols were adhered to. Boonville, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Boonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you are awarded the full compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Boonville, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Boonville, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal procedures are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Boonville, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Boonville, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your case. You can bank on a veteran and talented 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 on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to acquire vital 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 a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and important details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Boonville, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
- Use our network of Boonville, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make sure you get it.
- Fight back against resistant Boonville, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys 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 finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.
Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been injured in a ruinous 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 safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Boonville, 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 determine what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Boonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
- Driver behavior. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to an egregious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that work 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those regulations are frequently <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’ size and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Boonville, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is true in your case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, but not nearly 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 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Boonville, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
- Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Faulty or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Inadequate lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Boonville, MO street, the better your odds of holding the negligent parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Boonville, 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 properly repair it.
Once your skilled Boonville, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to establish who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Companies
Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make sure 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 complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.
Making certain that Boonville, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly prone to 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 allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Boonville, 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 transpired.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and immediately 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 properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your Boonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their behavior.
The Boonville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they typically happen in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Boonville, MO government, there are specific 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 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 necessary to contact a Boonville, 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 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 due to negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Boonville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers 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 responsible.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may share a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, 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 accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and veteran Boonville, 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 type of bus accident we most typically see in Boonville 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 Boonville, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly bad or they did not conduct adequate 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 Boonville, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Boonville, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic 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 Boonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure 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 capacity
We work with our network of medical and economic experts to determine the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 Boonville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover maximum 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 Boonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Boonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to secure you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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.