Bus Accident Attorney in Greene County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Greene County, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a disastrous 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 receive equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Greene County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Greene County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Greene 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 thoughtless behavior. Many Greene County, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Greene County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical costs and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Greene County, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We start working on your case at once, 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 Greene County, MO because of somebody else's reckless actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

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

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus under the impression that that the proper safety protocols were adhered to. Greene County, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 really heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Greene County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you receive the full compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Greene County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Greene County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be unforgiving to Greene County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Greene County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can expect an accomplished and savvy 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 secure key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are usually other people who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles 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 Greene County, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Greene County, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Greene County, 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 damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We handle 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 the best possible compensation. 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?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Greene County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and 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 occurred.
• Driver action. While the same study reported 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 crashes had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by commercial bus lines 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how frequently they have to take a break, those rules are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of maneuvering them, slick roads or Greene County, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is at fault. 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Greene County, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Greene County, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Greene County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Greene County, MO bus accident attorney establishes 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 the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

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 look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed 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 owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Greene County, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially susceptible 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 able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Greene County, 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 accident occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 try to place the blame on somebody else, your Greene County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Greene County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they typically transpire in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Greene 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 personal injury cases. If you want to file a suit 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 essential to contact a Greene County, MO bus accident attorney right 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 an at-fault 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 pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Greene 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 seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Greene County, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Greene County and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus crashes. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in Greene County, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not perform adequate 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 Greene County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will usually be based on the gravity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Greene County, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Greene County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you receive a maximum 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 potential

  We work alongside our team 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Greene County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively 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 Greene County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Greene County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to get you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 complimentary case review.