Bus Accident Attorney in Riverside, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Riverside, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 receive equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Riverside, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your loved ones. Your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Riverside and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their negligent actions. Many Riverside, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Riverside, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also work through the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Riverside, 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 get started on your claim at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.

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

Do I Need a Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus presuming that the adequate safety arrangements were followed. Riverside, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they fail in 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 permanent consequences or in the most tragic cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you win the full compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Riverside, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Riverside, 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, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Riverside, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Riverside, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your claim. You can expect a veteran and skilled 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 during the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Riverside, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Riverside, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to make certain you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Riverside, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your health. 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 your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the 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 we win your case. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 it necessitates 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 Riverside, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every kind of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• 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 stated 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. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies 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 obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, slippery roads or Riverside, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. 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 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 reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Riverside, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to ensure that their drivers are correctly 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 typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Riverside, MO street, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Riverside, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Riverside, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your accident, they will be able to ascertain who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. Despite saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed 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 caused by driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Riverside, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially vulnerable 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 properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Riverside, 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 wreck took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to verify the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls if a product is found to be hazardous. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 place the blame on someone else, your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Riverside 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 happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Riverside, 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 injury liability suits. If you seek to make a claim 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 necessary to contact a Riverside, 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 careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Riverside, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health 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 relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Riverside, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Riverside 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 Riverside, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor 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 Riverside, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will typically be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Riverside, MO and a week or two 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 Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you secure 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 costs, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We utilize our team of medical and economic experts to compute the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 Riverside, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive 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 Riverside, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Riverside, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 evaluation.