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Bus Accident Attorney in Branson, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Branson, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic 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 get equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be equally as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Branson, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Branson, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the full compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Branson and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their negligent behavior. Many Branson, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, persistence, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Branson, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical bills and also manage the emotional impact of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Branson, MO bus accident, contact 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 straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Branson, MO because of another person's reckless behavior, learn how much your damages 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 Branson, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus presuming that the adequate safety protocols were followed. Branson, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules 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 generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even cause wrongful death. The Branson, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you receive the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Branson, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those Branson, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard 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 procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to Branson, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Branson, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can expect a seasoned and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 secure key evidence for your case.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Branson, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Work alongside our network of Branson, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our experience and expertise to make sure you get it.
- Stand up to resistant Branson, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes 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 finely honed 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a devastating 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 running a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Branson, 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 who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Branson, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
- Driver behavior. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require 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 mandatory or followed.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of driving them, slick roads or Branson, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 personnel responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Branson, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Defective or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Insufficient lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Branson, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Branson, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.
Once your knowledgeable Branson, MO bus accident attorney deduces the cause of your accident, they will be able to ascertain who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.
Making certain that Branson, MO buses are properly 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 may be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.
Finally, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Branson, 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 certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently defective design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they may attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Branson, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their actions.
The Branson or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Branson, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury 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 vital to reach out to a Branson, 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 (314) 500-HURT.
Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 grants sovereign immunity to government entities and employees except against a government employee who was driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck due to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Branson, 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 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 obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto accident, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Branson, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Branson 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 Branson, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous 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 Branson, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will generally be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Branson, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating 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 Branson, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded a great 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
We use 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Branson, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you receive 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 Branson, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Branson, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to win you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.