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Bus Accident Attorney in Sullivan, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Sullivan, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured 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 rarely ever get the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Sullivan, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your family. Your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the maximum compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Sullivan and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless actions. Our Sullivan, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Sullivan, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical costs and also work through the emotional shock of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Sullivan, 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 start working on your claim immediately, 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 Sullivan, MO because of someone else's reckless actions, discover how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Sullivan, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus under the assumption that the correct safety arrangements were adhered to. Sullivan, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a duty to respect, 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 really recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and will not let up until you get the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Sullivan, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they are owed. Those Sullivan, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, veteran and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal procedures are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Sullivan, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 case.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are usually a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. A lot of different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
- Work with our network of Sullivan, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our experience and expertise to make certain you receive it.
- Stand up to resistant Sullivan, 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 damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
- Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.
Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We handle 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 are fairly compensated. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a disastrous 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 in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Sullivan, 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 what entity is responsible for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Sullivan, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their 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 happened.
- Driver action. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus companies 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 without a break or how frequently 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 mandatory or followed.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of maneuvering them, icy roads or Sullivan, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that is true in your 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Sullivan, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
- Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Defective or missing traffic lights
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Poor lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Sullivan, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Sullivan, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not properly repair it.
Once your accomplished Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. Despite insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often 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. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.
Ensuring that Sullivan, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's duty. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.
Finally, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck happened.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to guarantee the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 place the blame on somebody else, your Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their behavior.
The Sullivan or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they generally happen in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Sullivan, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability cases. If you seek to make a claim 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 urgent to get in touch with a Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your injury. 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 driving 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 recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Sullivan, 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 go on board a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, 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 injure you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Sullivan, 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 most common type of bus crash in Sullivan 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 Sullivan, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor 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 Sullivan, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Sullivan, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a disastrous spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
We use our network 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Sullivan, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly 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 Sullivan, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Sullivan, 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 win you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 free case review.