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Bus Accident Attorney in Knob Noster, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Knob Noster, MO. If you or a loved one 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 receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, 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 Knob Noster, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you get 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 fighting for the rights of the injured in Knob Noster and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their careless actions. Many Knob Noster, MO families have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Knob Noster, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for pricey medical costs and also manage the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Knob Noster, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We start working on your case straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Knob Noster, MO because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Knob Noster, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus assuming that the proper safety protocols were obeyed. Knob Noster, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have permanent effects or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you are awarded the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Knob Noster, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Knob Noster, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Knob Noster, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your case. You can anticipate an experienced and talented 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 of the day or night in order to acquire important evidence for your case.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically many people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
- Work with our network of Knob Noster, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our experience and expertise to ensure you get it.
- Stand up to resistant Knob Noster, 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 avoid their responsibility to compensate you. 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 will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.
Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole 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. We collect no attorneys fees until you are fully compensated. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.
Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?
Since it requires so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Knob Noster, 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 needs to be held responsible for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Knob Noster, 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 happened.
- Driver action. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules 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 mandatory or complied with.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, icy roads or Knob Noster, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Knob Noster, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Defective or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Poor lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Knob Noster, MO road, the better your chances of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Knob Noster, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.
Once your talented Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically 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 passengers 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 highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off 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 reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.
Making sure that Knob Noster, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained 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 failing to perform routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.
Lastly, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a full 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 a responsibility to verify the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 may try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.
The Knob Noster or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the number of people involved and because they generally transpire in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Knob Noster, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability 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 vital to call a Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney straight 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or careless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident because of recklessness. 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 Knob Noster, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible 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 duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may bear a percentage 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 injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the type of bus accident we most typically see in Knob Noster 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 liable, a school district in Knob Noster, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly 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 Knob Noster, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Knob Noster, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received 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 Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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 costs, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover full 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 Knob Noster, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past two decades to secure you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.