Bus Accident Attorney in Franklin County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Franklin County, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a destructive 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 get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Franklin County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you win the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Franklin County and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held accountable for their negligent behavior. Our Franklin County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Franklin County, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also deal with the emotional impact of your injury just because another person broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Franklin County, MO bus accident, get in touch with 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 right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Franklin County, MO because of another person's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

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

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the appropriate safety protocols were obeyed. Franklin County, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a duty to follow, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Franklin County, 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 begin investigating on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you are awarded the maximum compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Franklin County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Franklin County, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Franklin County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash 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 obtain essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually other passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Work alongside our network of Franklin County, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our know-how and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Franklin County, 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 avoid their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We handle 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 you are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it requires so many people to operate 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 was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Franklin County, 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 liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Franklin County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 error. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly those that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often 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 obligated or complied with.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Franklin County, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. 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 the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but not close to 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Franklin County, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults 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
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Franklin County, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Franklin County, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons for your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed 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 certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their foremost 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 obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due 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 Franklin County, MO buses are properly 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 may be because of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Franklin County, 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 wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to verify the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be defective. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 place the blame on someone else, your Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Franklin County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the amount of people involved and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Franklin 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 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 essential to call a Franklin 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 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 a crash due to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Franklin 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 Franklin County 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 responsible, a school district in Franklin County, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous 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 Franklin County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Franklin County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received 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 Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive a fair 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 utilize our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Franklin County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 complimentary case review.