Bus Accident Attorney in Lexington, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Lexington, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured in a destructive 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 get equal attention as plane or train crashes, 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 Lexington, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the maximum compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Lexington and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their negligent actions. Many Lexington, MO families have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have collected 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 find justice in personal injury cases and help Lexington, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also manage the emotional shock of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Lexington, 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 case evaluation. We get started on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Lexington, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless behavior, learn how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Lexington, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety arrangements were followed. Lexington, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a responsibility to obey, but sometimes they neglect 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 recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you recover the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Lexington, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Lexington, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Lexington, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Lexington, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your case. You can expect a seasoned and savvy 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 of the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are usually a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Lexington, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Lexington, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess 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 collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Lexington, 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 injuries. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until you are fairly compensated. If you or someone you care about 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 takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Lexington, 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 discover who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Lexington, 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, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver behavior. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep at 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 regulations are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not enforced or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of maneuvering them, icy roads or Lexington, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. 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 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 personnel responsible for reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Lexington, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Lexington, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Lexington, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Lexington, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with winning you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation 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. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often 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 because of driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Lexington, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out 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 a responsibility to confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be defective. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 might try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Lexington or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people involved and because they typically take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Lexington, MO government, there are particular 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 injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is urgent to contact a Lexington, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 an at-fault or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck due to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Lexington, 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 go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may be responsible for 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 hurt in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Lexington, 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 most common type of bus accident in Lexington 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 responsible, a school district in Lexington, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly bad or they did not carry out 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 Lexington, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Lexington, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you receive 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 work alongside 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Lexington, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly 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 Lexington, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Lexington, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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.