Bus Accident Attorney in Osage County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Osage County, 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 receive the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Osage County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you win the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Osage County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held accountable for their reckless behavior. Our Osage County, MO clients have put their cases 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, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Osage County, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for extortionate medical costs and also deal with the emotional impact of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Osage County, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We begin working on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Osage County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus assuming that the correct safety protocols were followed. Osage County, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to obey, 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 really heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most tragic instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you win the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Osage County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Osage County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran 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 unforgiving to Osage County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Osage County, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are generally many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Osage County, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Osage County, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Osage County, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus 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 ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 determine the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Osage County, 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 find out who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Osage County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep behind 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 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’ weight and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, icy roads or Osage County, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies 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 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Osage County, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Osage County, MO road, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Osage County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your expert Osage County, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons for your crash, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with winning you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Osage County, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to verify the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 might attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Osage County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the amount of people involved and because they usually transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Osage County, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities 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 essential to call a Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to driver error. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Osage County, 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances 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 hurt you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Osage County, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Osage County 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 responsible, a school district in Osage County, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially 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 Osage County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will usually be based on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Osage County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained 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 Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded a great 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 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Osage County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded 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 Osage County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Osage County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.