Bus Accident Attorney in Drexel, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Drexel, MO. If you or a family member 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 rarely ever receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Drexel, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe 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 Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you receive the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Drexel and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their careless actions. Our Drexel, MO clients 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 determination, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Drexel, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical bills and also handle the emotional impact of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Drexel, 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 at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Drexel, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus under the impression that that the correct safety measures were followed. Drexel, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they are supposed to respect, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible instances can even cause wrongful death. The Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you are awarded the maximum compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Drexel, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they entitled to. Those Drexel, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Drexel, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Drexel, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your claim. You can bank on an accomplished 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 vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Drexel, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Drexel, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our savvy and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Drexel, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your claim. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks 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 finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We manage 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 full compensation. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it necessitates so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Drexel, 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 discover what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Drexel, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study found that a mere 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, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued 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 frequently 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 mandatory or followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Drexel, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 inspections of over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Drexel, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are correctly 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 lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Drexel, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Drexel, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your experienced Drexel, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your accident, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Drexel, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to carry out routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly vulnerable 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 sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Drexel, 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 wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to certify the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be defective. If they approve an inherently defective 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 might attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Drexel or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the number of people involved and because they generally transpire in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Drexel, 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 injury liability claims. 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 essential to reach out to a Drexel, 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 driving 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 through driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Drexel, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may bear 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 injure you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and veteran Drexel, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Drexel 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 Drexel, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad or they did not carry out 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 Drexel, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Drexel, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Drexel, 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 compute 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Drexel, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get 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 Drexel, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the immense pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to secure you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 free case review.