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Bus Accident Attorney in Moberly, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Moberly, MO. If you or a family member 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 receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be just as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Moberly, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your loved ones. Your Moberly, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect the maximum compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Moberly and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their reckless actions. Many Moberly, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Moberly, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical costs and also work through the emotional impact of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Moberly, 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 begin working on your case at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Moberly, MO because of someone else's careless behavior, learn how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Moberly, 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 boarded the bus supposing that the correct safety protocols were adhered to. Moberly, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a responsibility to follow, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Moberly, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case immediately, and work tirelessly until you win the maximum compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Moberly, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Moberly, MO insurance companies are afraid of 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 aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.
The legal process is complicated and can be unforgiving to Moberly, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Moberly, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can bank on an accomplished and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the accident site immediately. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time during the day or night in order to acquire key evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are often other passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Moberly, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Work with our network of Moberly, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to ensure you get it.
- Fight back against resistant Moberly, 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 avoid their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
- Take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.
Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We take control of all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.
Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?
Because it takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Moberly, 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 determine what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Moberly, 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, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
- Driver behavior. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another 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 fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those 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 drowsy and can even fall asleep behind 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 complied with.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Moberly, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is true in your case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, but not nearly 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 more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Moberly, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
- Hazardous 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
- Faulty or missing traffic lights
- Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
- Inadequate lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Moberly, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Moberly, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.
Once your talented Moberly, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found negligent in bus accident cases.
Commercial Bus Companies
Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following 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 hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating when the crash occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.
Making sure that Moberly, 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 a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.
Lastly, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Moberly, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a full 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 an obligation to guarantee the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be faulty. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 somebody else, your Moberly, 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 Moberly or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people involved and because they usually happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Moberly, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. If you seek 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 urgent to get in touch with a Moberly, MO bus accident attorney right 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Moberly, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you ascend 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 dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may share 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 harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Moberly, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the category of bus accident we most commonly see in Moberly 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 responsible, a school district in Moberly, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not perform adequate 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 Moberly, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will generally depend on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Moberly, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have experienced a disastrous spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Moberly, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you are awarded 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
We use our team of medical and economic experts to compute 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 Moberly, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you recover 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 Moberly, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Moberly, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired 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, do not wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.