Bus Accident Attorney in Crystal City, MO

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

Bus accidents hardly ever get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be just as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Crystal City, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the best possible compensation that you are entitled to 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 Crystal City and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held accountable for their thoughtless actions. Our Crystal City, MO clients have put their claims 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 determination, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Crystal City, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical costs and also deal with the emotional trauma of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a Crystal City, 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 review. We get started on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Crystal City, MO because of somebody else's negligent actions, discover how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Crystal City, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the proper safety protocols were obeyed. Crystal City, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start working on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you receive the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Crystal City, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those Crystal City, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Crystal City, 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 Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your case. 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are almost always a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Crystal City, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our know-how and expertise to ensure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Crystal City, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line 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 deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take the fight 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 damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get the best possible compensation. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and committed 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 discover the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Crystal City, 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 determine what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Crystal City, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver behavior. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious 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 instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often 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 enforced or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Crystal City, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some Crystal City, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Crystal City, MO road, the better your odds of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Crystal City, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your skilled Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally 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 passengers to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed 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 due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Crystal City, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses 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 sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Crystal City, 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 happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Crystal City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they typically transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Crystal City, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities 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 necessary to contact a Crystal City, 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 a wreck owing to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Crystal City, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you ascend 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 certain that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may share 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 hurt you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable 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 Crystal City 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 Crystal City, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly bad or they did not conduct 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 Crystal City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will usually be based on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Crystal City, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you secure 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work alongside 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you collect 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 Crystal City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Crystal City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years 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 wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case evaluation.