Bus Accident Attorney in Buchanan County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Buchanan County, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a disastrous bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never 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 Buchanan County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and do not respect the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the maximum compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Buchanan County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Our Buchanan County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Buchanan County, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also handle the emotional toll of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Buchanan County, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We start working on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Buchanan County, MO because of somebody else's negligent actions, find out how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

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

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus assuming that the appropriate safety measures were obeyed. Buchanan County, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most tragic instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you get the full compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Buchanan County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Buchanan County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, experienced and tenacious 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 unforgiving to Buchanan County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can bank on a veteran and skilled 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 key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are usually a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. A lot of different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Buchanan County, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our savvy and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Buchanan County, 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 devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole 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 you are fully compensated. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 role to play in running a bus safely you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every kind of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Buchanan County, 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, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly those that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during a day 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 conditions. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of driving them, slippery roads or Buchanan County, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that is true in your 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 motor carriers, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Buchanan County, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Buchanan County, MO street, the better your chances of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Buchanan County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for 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 foremost 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 inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Buchanan County, MO buses are adequately 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 because of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must 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 permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out 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 an obligation to verify the safety of their vehicles and immediately issue recalls if a product is found to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 shift the blame to somebody else, your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Buchanan County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people involved and because they usually happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Buchanan County, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability cases. If you want to make a claim 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 crucial to reach out to a Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your injury. Do not delay, 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 liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash through driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Buchanan County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some cases they each may bear 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 injure you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Buchanan County, 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 crash in Buchanan County 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 liable, a school district in Buchanan County, 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 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 Buchanan County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Buchanan County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We use our network of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you recover 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 Buchanan County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to win 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 free case review.