Bus Accident Attorney in Wildwood, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Wildwood, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured in a catastrophic 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 get equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Wildwood, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or your family. Your Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you get the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Wildwood and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Our Wildwood, 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 determination, devotion, persistence, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Wildwood, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for exorbitant medical bills and also deal with the emotional shock of your injury just because someone else broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Wildwood, 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 free case evaluation. We begin working on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Wildwood, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless behavior, discover how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Wildwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus assuming that the adequate safety arrangements were followed. Wildwood, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have a responsibility to obey, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even cause wrongful death. The Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case immediately, and will not let up until you are awarded the full 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 deceive injured Wildwood, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Wildwood, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced 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 difficult to comprehend for Wildwood, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your case. You can anticipate an experienced 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 of the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are often other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of winning your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Wildwood, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Wildwood, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits 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 the fight to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole 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 you are fairly compensated. If you or someone you care about has been injured 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?

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 is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Wildwood, 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 find out what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 occurred.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those that work for 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 behind 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 obligated or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of driving them, icy roads or Wildwood, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. 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 the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 people responsible for reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Wildwood, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are correctly 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
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Wildwood, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Wildwood, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you the best possible 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 deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required 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 obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have said that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Wildwood, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be a consequence of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be prudent 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 Wildwood, 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 vehicles and immediately issue recalls if a product is found to be hazardous. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 might attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Wildwood or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people involved and because they often happen in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Wildwood, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury claims. 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 vital to get in touch with a Wildwood, 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 thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident through negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Wildwood, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on 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 certain that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear 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 hurt you. If you were injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 Wildwood 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 Wildwood, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous 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 Wildwood, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Wildwood, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a disastrous 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 Wildwood, 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to compute 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Wildwood, 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 Wildwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Wildwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and persistent 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 harmed 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 free case review.