Bus Accident Attorney in Smithville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Smithville, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a disastrous 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 get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Smithville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Smithville and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless actions. Our Smithville, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, commitment, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Smithville, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also work through the emotional impact of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Smithville, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We begin working on your claim at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Smithville, MO because of somebody else's careless actions, find out how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Smithville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus under the impression that that the adequate safety measures were followed. Smithville, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they are supposed to obey, but sometimes they fail in those obligations 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 really recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you recover the best possible compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Smithville, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those Smithville, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, veteran and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be unforgiving to Smithville, 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 Smithville, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. 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 key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically a lot of passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and 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 play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Smithville, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Smithville, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our know-how and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Smithville, 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 devalue your claim. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We take control of 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 we win your case. If you or a family member has been injured in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Smithville, 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 discover who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 transpired.
• Driver error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious 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 accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly those that are employed by commercial bus companies 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often 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 followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of maneuvering them, icy roads or Smithville, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep up with the number of inspections required. Some Smithville, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, 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 lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Smithville, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Smithville, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Smithville, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons for your crash, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with getting you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Smithville, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to 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 strict background checks. Your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out 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 a duty to guarantee the safety of their products and immediately announce recalls if a product is found to be defective. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 someone else, your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Smithville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people involved and because they usually happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Smithville, MO government, there are special 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 crucial to call a Smithville, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 an at-fault or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Smithville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously 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 accident, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Smithville, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish 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 accident in Smithville 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 liable, a school district in Smithville, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially 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 Smithville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Smithville, 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 rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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 expenses, 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 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 Smithville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive full 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 Smithville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Smithville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past two decades to get you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 complimentary case review.