Bus Accident Attorney in Garden City, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Garden City, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 hardly ever receive the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Garden City, 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 ruinous, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your loved ones. Your Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the maximum compensation that you deserve 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 Garden City and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held responsible for their negligent behavior. Our Garden City, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, persistence, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Garden City, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional trauma of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a Garden City, 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 free case evaluation. We begin working 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 Garden City, MO because of somebody else's reckless actions, discover how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

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

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the correct safety protocols were followed. Garden City, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to obey, 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 truly recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you are awarded the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Garden City, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Garden City, 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 compassionate, accomplished and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Garden City, 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 cases. When you hire our Garden City, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site immediately. 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 important evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are almost always other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. A lot of different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Garden City, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Garden City, MO auto wreck 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 owed and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to ensure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Garden City, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid 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 in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus 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 family member 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?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part 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. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Garden City, 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 determine who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially 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 drowsy and can even fall asleep at 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 enforced or complied with.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, slick roads or Garden City, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Garden City, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Garden City, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Garden City, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Garden City, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as 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 sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Garden City, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be the result of a bus company either failing to perform routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses 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 properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to certify the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 try to shift the blame to someone else, your Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Garden City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Garden City, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you seek 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 imperative to get in touch with a Garden City, MO bus accident attorney straight away 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 a liable 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 eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Garden City, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers 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 sure that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances 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 injure you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Garden City, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are responsible 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 Garden 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 liable, a school district in Garden City, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad or they did not conduct 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 Garden City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will typically be based on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Garden City, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating 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 Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you collect 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 utilize our team of medical and economic experts to compute 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Garden City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect 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 Garden City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Garden City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to secure you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case evaluation.