Bus Accident Attorney in Poplar Bluff, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Poplar Bluff, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a destructive 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 hardly ever get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Poplar Bluff, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the full compensation that you deserve 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 Poplar Bluff and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their reckless actions. Our Poplar Bluff, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Poplar Bluff, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical bills and also handle the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a Poplar Bluff, 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 consultation. We begin working on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Poplar Bluff, MO because of someone else's reckless behavior, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus under the impression that that the appropriate safety measures were obeyed. Poplar Bluff, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Poplar Bluff, 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 begin working on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you are awarded the best possible compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Poplar Bluff, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Poplar Bluff, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complicated and can be unforgiving to Poplar Bluff, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can bank on an experienced 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 during the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are often a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Poplar Bluff, 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 owed and we will use our know-how and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Poplar Bluff, 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 avoid their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We manage 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 we win your case. If you or a family member has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it requires so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Poplar Bluff, 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 determine who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver action. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often 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 enforced or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of maneuvering them, icy roads or Poplar Bluff, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover 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 personnel responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Poplar Bluff, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to make certain 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. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Poplar Bluff, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Poplar Bluff, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your accomplished Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons for your crash, they will be able to establish who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with securing you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable 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 customers to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent 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 found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Poplar Bluff, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired 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 neglecting to provide routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially prone to 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 properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Poplar Bluff, 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 wreck took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to ensure the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently defective 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 attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Poplar Bluff or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be calamitous because of the number of people involved and because they typically transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Poplar Bluff, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you want 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 imperative to reach out to a Poplar Bluff, 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or careless 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 talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Poplar Bluff, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

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

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most typically see in Poplar Bluff 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 Poplar Bluff, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not conduct 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 Poplar Bluff, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically depend on the gravity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have received a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Poplar Bluff, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained 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 Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We use our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded 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 Poplar Bluff, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Poplar Bluff, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 complimentary case review.