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Bus Accident Attorney in Macon, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Macon, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured 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 rarely receive the same 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 Macon, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you win the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Macon and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their negligent actions. Many Macon, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Macon, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also manage the emotional impact of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Macon, 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 evaluation. We begin working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Macon, MO because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your injury 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 Macon, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus under the assumption that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Macon, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in 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 fully recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even result in wrongful death. The Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you recover the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Macon, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Macon, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to Macon, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Macon, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can anticipate a veteran and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the crash 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 secure important evidence for your case.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are typically many people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day 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 Macon, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
- Work with our network of Macon, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely 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 make sure you recover it.
- Fight back against resistant Macon, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your well-being. 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 schemes will not work in your case.
- Take the fight in front of a judge and jury 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.
Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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 are fully compensated. If you or a family member has been injured in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.
Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?
Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Macon, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who is liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Macon, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 took place.
- Driver action. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy 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 frequently 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 required or followed.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the intricacy of steering them, slippery roads or Macon, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover 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 inspectors responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Macon, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
- Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Defective or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Insufficient lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Macon, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Macon, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.
Once your skilled Macon, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found negligent in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which is an example of distracted driving.
Making sure that Macon, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially 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 adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Macon, 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 happened.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to ensure the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently dangerous design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their behavior.
The Macon or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently transpire in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Macon, 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 injury liability claims. If you seek 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 Macon, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 an at-fault or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Macon, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers 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 confident that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle collision, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some cases they each may shoulder a percentage 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 harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Macon, 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 crash we most commonly see in Macon 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 at fault, a school district in Macon, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially 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 Macon, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will usually be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Macon, 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 Macon, 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 potential
We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to compute 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Macon, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect 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 Macon, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to secure you the maximum 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 complimentary case evaluation.