Bus Accident Attorney in Scott City, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Scott City, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a devastating bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be similarly harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Scott City, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your family. Your Scott City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you collect the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Scott City and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their careless actions. Our Scott City, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Scott City, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills 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 injured in a Scott City, MO bus accident, reach out to 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 claim immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Scott City, MO because of another person's careless behavior, learn how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

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

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus under the impression that that the correct safety measures were obeyed. Scott City, MO bus companies and drivers have firm regulations they are supposed to follow, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities 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 truly recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Scott City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you receive the maximum compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Scott City, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those Scott City, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the passionate, accomplished and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Scott City, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Scott City, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your claim. 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 during the day or night in order to obtain key 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 usually other people who want the same answers and compensation you need. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Scott City, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Scott City, MO crash 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 utilize our experience and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Scott City, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We handle 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 you get the best possible compensation. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Scott City, 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 is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Scott City, 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 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of an egregious offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued 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 often they have to take a break, those rules 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 hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slick roads or Scott City, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Scott City, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Scott City, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Scott City, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Scott City, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with winning you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not 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 owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Scott City, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Scott City, 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 accident transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to ensure the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 shift the blame to somebody else, your Scott City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Scott City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they generally transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Scott City, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability claims. If you want 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 necessary to contact a Scott City, MO bus accident attorney at once after your accident. 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or reckless 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 texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Scott 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are often 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 hurt you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Scott City, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Scott 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 responsible, a school district in Scott City, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad or they did not carry out 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 Scott City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will typically depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Scott City, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have experienced a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Scott City, 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 quantify 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Scott City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover 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 Scott City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Scott City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past 20 years to win you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 consultation.