Bus Accident Attorney in Crawford County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Crawford County, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a catastrophic 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 wrecks, even though the can frequently be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Crawford County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you win the best possible compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Crawford County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their reckless behavior. Our Crawford County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Crawford County, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also deal with the emotional impact of your injury only because somebody else did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Crawford County, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Crawford County, MO because of someone else's thoughtless actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

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

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus under the assumption that the appropriate safety protocols were adhered to. Crawford County, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you receive the maximum compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Crawford County, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Crawford County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Crawford County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can bank on an experienced and talented 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 received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically other people who want the same answers and compensation you need. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of Crawford County, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Crawford 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 weasel their way out of their responsibility 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.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We handle 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 you are fully compensated. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety 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? | Crawford County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated 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, especially those that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind 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’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, icy roads or Crawford County, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. 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 applies 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections needed. Some Crawford County, MO bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Crawford County, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Crawford County, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not adequately repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons for your accident, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of insisting that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Crawford County, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be the result of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to verify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. 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 may attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Crawford County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they usually happen in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Crawford County, 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 tort 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 urgent to call a Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney straight 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 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 an accident due to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Crawford County, 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 go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, 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 knowledgeable and veteran Crawford County, 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 most common type of bus crash in Crawford County and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus crashes. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in Crawford County, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially 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 Crawford County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically depend on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Crawford County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced a catastrophic 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 Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We use our team of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive the best possible 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 Crawford County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Crawford County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills 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, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary consultation.