Bus Accident Attorney in Gladstone, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Gladstone, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be just as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Gladstone, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you recover the maximum 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 Gladstone and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Many Gladstone, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Gladstone, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional impact of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Gladstone, 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 consultation. We start working on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Gladstone, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus under the impression that that the correct safety arrangements were followed. Gladstone, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation 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 recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case immediately, and will not let up until you recover the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Gladstone, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those Gladstone, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to Gladstone, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a seasoned and knowledgeable 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 secure vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are usually a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Use our network of Gladstone, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Gladstone, MO insurance companies who are more interested in 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 your case 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 injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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 are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Gladstone, 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 find out what entity is responsible for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly those that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often 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 followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of maneuvering them, slick roads or Gladstone, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections required. Some Gladstone, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are required to make certain 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. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Gladstone, MO road, the better your odds of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Gladstone, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your accomplished Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off fatigue. 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 because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Gladstone, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Gladstone, 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 ensure the safety of their products and immediately announce recalls if a product is found to be faulty. 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 may try to place the blame on someone else, your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Gladstone or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they typically happen in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Gladstone, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury cases. 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 imperative to get in touch with a Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 an accident because of negligence. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Gladstone, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility 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 wreck, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some cases they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were hurt in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are at fault 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 Gladstone 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 Gladstone, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not perform 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 Gladstone, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Gladstone, 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 rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to compute 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you are awarded 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 Gladstone, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 review.