Bus Accident Attorney in Platte City, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Platte City, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, take the first step in 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 harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Platte City, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Platte City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win the best possible compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Platte City and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their careless actions. Our Platte City, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Platte City, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical bills and also work through the emotional toll of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Platte City, 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 begin working on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Platte City, MO because of somebody else's careless behavior, discover how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Platte City, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the adequate safety arrangements were obeyed. Platte City, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Platte City, 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 get to work on on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you recover the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Platte City, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Platte City, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be unforgiving to Platte City, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Platte City, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your case. You can expect a seasoned and skilled 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 obtain vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are almost always other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Platte City, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Platte City, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute 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 get it.
• Stand up to resistant Platte City, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for 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 responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We oversee 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 catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Platte City, 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 find out what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Platte City, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice 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 found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as the driver being 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 those that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy 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 often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of steering them, slippery roads or Platte City, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Platte City, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are properly 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
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Platte City, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Platte City, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not properly repair it.

Once your skilled Platte City, MO bus accident attorney confirm the cause of your crash, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons 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 highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed 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 caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Platte City, MO buses are properly 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 maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly predisposed to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Platte City, 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 took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently unsafe design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Platte City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Platte City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they generally happen in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Platte City, MO government, there are special 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 injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is vital to get in touch with a Platte City, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through driver error. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Platte City, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may shoulder a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Platte City, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most typically see in Platte City 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 liable, a school district in Platte City, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially poor or they did not conduct 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 Platte City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Platte City, 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 remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Platte City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain 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 use our team 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Platte City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you get 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 Platte City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Platte City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to get you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 free case review.