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Bus Accident Attorney in Eureka, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Eureka, MO. If you or a loved one 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 rarely ever receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Eureka, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Eureka, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you receive the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Eureka and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their careless actions. Our Eureka, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Eureka, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury just because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a Eureka, 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 immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Eureka, MO because of another person's reckless actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Eureka, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus supposing that the proper safety arrangements were adhered to. Eureka, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they fail in those duties 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 heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst instances can even result in wrongful death. The Eureka, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you recover the best possible compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Eureka, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Eureka, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, 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 difficult to comprehend for Eureka, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Eureka, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your case. You can expect a seasoned and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to secure essential evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are typically other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
- Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Eureka, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
- Work with our network of Eureka, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our know-how and expertise to make sure you recover it.
- Stand up to resistant Eureka, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for 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 obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
- Take your case 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 injuries.
Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We take control of all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been injured in a calamitous 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 operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Eureka, 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 discover who needs to be held liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Eureka, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
- Driver behavior. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a severe offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly those that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy 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 frequently they have to take a break, those rules are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not mandatory or obeyed.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Eureka, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is the case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Eureka, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
- Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Defective or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Inadequate lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Eureka, MO road, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Eureka, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not properly repair it.
Once your experienced Eureka, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with getting you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident cases.
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 patrons 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 highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.
Making certain that Eureka, MO buses are properly 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 because of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.
Lastly, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Eureka, 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 accident occurred.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to confirm the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. 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 Eureka, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held responsible for their behavior.
The Eureka or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people involved and because they often take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Eureka, 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 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 vital to contact a Eureka, MO bus accident attorney right 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 an at-fault or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident because of recklessness. 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 Eureka, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto crash, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may share 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 harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and veteran Eureka, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most typically see in Eureka 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 Eureka, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather 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 Eureka, 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 the consequences they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Eureka, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received a disastrous 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 Eureka, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
We work with 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Eureka, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you collect 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 Eureka, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Eureka, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and determined 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 harmed 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.