Standing by your side
Bus Accident Attorney in Lee's Summit, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Lee's Summit, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 rarely ever receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Lee's Summit, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the best possible compensation that you deserve 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 Lee's Summit and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their reckless behavior. Our Lee's Summit, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished 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, commitment, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Lee's Summit, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for extortionate medical bills and also deal with the emotional shock of your injury just because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Lee's Summit, 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 free consultation. We start working on your case immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Lee's Summit, MO because of another person's negligent behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
Click to view video
Do I Need a Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus presuming that the proper safety protocols were adhered to. Lee's Summit, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a duty to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations 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 heal from, may have permanent effects or in the worst cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not need 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 win the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Lee's Summit, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Lee's Summit, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, 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 complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Lee's Summit, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your case. You can bank on an accomplished and savvy 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to obtain important evidence for your case.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are generally a lot of passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and key 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 play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Use our network of Lee's Summit, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to ensure you receive it.
- Stand up to resistant Lee's Summit, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line than your well-being. 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 the fight to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert 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 oversee 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 fair compensation. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Lee's Summit, 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 who is responsible for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
- Driver action. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially the ones that work for commercial bus companies 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 at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 obeyed.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, slick roads or Lee's Summit, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Lee's Summit, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. Some typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Defective or missing traffic lights
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Poor lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Lee's Summit, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Lee's Summit, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not properly repair it.
Once your experienced Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with securing you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. Part 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 when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.
Ensuring that Lee's Summit, MO buses are correctly 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 because of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.
Finally, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Lee's Summit, 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 confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be faulty. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.
The Lee's Summit or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can often be devastating because of the number of people who could be injured and because they generally happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Lee's Summit, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you want to make a claim 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 Lee's Summit, 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 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 a wreck owing to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Lee's Summit, 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 board a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle crash, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may shoulder 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 harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most commonly see in Lee's Summit 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 Lee's Summit, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly dangerous 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 Lee's Summit, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the seriousness of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Lee's Summit, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received 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 Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you collect 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 expenses, 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 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Lee's Summit, 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 Lee's Summit, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your Lee's Summit, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to get you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.