Bus Accident Attorney in Holden, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Holden, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a catastrophic 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 crashes, even though the can frequently be similarly hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Holden, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Holden, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win 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 Holden and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Many Holden, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Holden, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for pricey medical bills and also handle the emotional shock of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Holden, 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 case review. We begin working on your claim at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Holden, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus presuming that the correct safety protocols were obeyed. Holden, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have a responsibility to obey, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 really heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Holden, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you receive the full 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 defraud injured Holden, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they entitled to. Those Holden, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and relentless 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 Holden, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Holden, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and skilled 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to obtain vital evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how many miles 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 Holden, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Holden, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our experience and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Holden, 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 weasel their way out of their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes 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 finely honed litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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. We charge no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a loved one has been injured in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and committed 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 determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Holden, 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 find out what entity is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Holden, 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, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many 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 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 rules are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of driving them, icy roads or Holden, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide 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 personnel responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Holden, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are correctly 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. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Holden, MO street, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Holden, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Holden, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your accident, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit drowsiness. 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 stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Holden, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either failing to provide routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly 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 correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Holden, 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 accident transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to confirm the safety of their products 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 properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might try to place the blame on someone else, your Holden, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Holden or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they generally transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Holden, 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 tort cases. If you want 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 crucial to call a Holden, 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Holden, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some cases they each may shoulder 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 injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and veteran Holden, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Holden 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 Holden, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially 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 Holden, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Holden, 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 special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Holden, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded 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 capacity

  We utilize our team 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Holden, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you receive 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 Holden, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Holden, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to win 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 consultation.