Bus Accident Attorney in Harrisonville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Harrisonville, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured 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 almost never get equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be equally as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Harrisonville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure 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 Harrisonville and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless actions. Many Harrisonville, MO families 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, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Harrisonville, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also deal with the emotional shock of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Harrisonville, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We get started on your claim at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Harrisonville, MO because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Harrisonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus supposing that the correct safety measures were followed. Harrisonville, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have an obligation to respect, 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 truly heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Harrisonville, 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 right away, and work tirelessly until you receive the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Harrisonville, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they are owed. Those Harrisonville, 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 passionate, experienced and relentless 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 difficult to comprehend for Harrisonville, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can bank on an accomplished and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident 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 acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are typically many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Harrisonville, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out 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 get it.
• Fight back against resistant Harrisonville, MO insurance companies who care more about 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 ploys 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 win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend 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 someone you care about has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out who needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner drivers under the age of 25, 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 found that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by 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 behind 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 mandatory or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Harrisonville, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 inspections of over 765,000 motor carriers, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Harrisonville, MO bus companies do not adequately inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common 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
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Harrisonville, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Harrisonville, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your talented Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed 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 driving too many miles without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged 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. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making sure that Harrisonville, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident might be the result of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete 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 vehicles and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently flawed design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Harrisonville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be devastating because of the amount of people involved and because they often occur in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Harrisonville, 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 tort suits. If you seek to file a suit 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 vital to reach out to a Harrisonville, 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck because of driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Harrisonville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may share 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 injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm 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 crash in Harrisonville and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus accidents. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is at fault, a school district in Harrisonville, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous 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 Harrisonville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically be based on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Harrisonville, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you are awarded 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you recover 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 Harrisonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to win you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 consultation.