Bus Accident Attorney in Higginsville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Higginsville, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a devastating 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 receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Higginsville, 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 devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the maximum compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Higginsville and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their thoughtless actions. Our Higginsville, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Higginsville, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also handle the emotional impact of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Higginsville, 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 case review. We begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Higginsville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the correct safety arrangements were obeyed. Higginsville, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case right away, and will not let up until you get the best possible 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 Higginsville, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Higginsville, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, veteran 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 complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Higginsville, 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 fight. When you hire our Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can bank on an experienced and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. 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 claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are generally a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Higginsville, 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 owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make certain you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Higginsville, 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 devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take the fight 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 in your corner 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member 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 necessitates 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 caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Higginsville, 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 responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 happened.
• Driver action. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the 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 regulations 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 hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Higginsville, 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 understand if that applies 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 personnel responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep up with the amount of inspections needed. Some Higginsville, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common 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 dangerous condition has been on the Higginsville, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Higginsville, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed 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 because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Higginsville, MO buses are sufficiently 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 the result of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or neglecting 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 correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Higginsville, 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 crash took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls in the event of a defective product. 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 shift the blame to somebody else, your Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Higginsville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Higginsville, MO government, there are specific 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 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 urgent to get in touch with a Higginsville, 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash due to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Higginsville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are often two or more drivers, 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 injure you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Higginsville, 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 Higginsville 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 Higginsville, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor 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 Higginsville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover 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 gotten a sprained ankle that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Higginsville, MO and a couple weeks 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 Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you secure 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 utilize our network of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you are entitled to, 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you are awarded 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 Higginsville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Higginsville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to secure you the the best possible 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 complimentary case evaluation.