Bus Accident Attorney in Affton, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Affton, MO. If you or a loved one 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 receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Affton, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Affton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Affton and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their reckless actions. Our Affton, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Affton, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also deal with the emotional scars of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a Affton, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We begin working on your claim straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Affton, MO because of someone else's thoughtless actions, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Affton, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus under the impression that that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Affton, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they are supposed to follow, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 fully recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The Affton, 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 begin investigating on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you receive the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Affton, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Affton, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, accomplished and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be unforgiving to Affton, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Affton, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a seasoned and talented 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 on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to acquire important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Affton, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Affton, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our experience and expertise to make certain you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Affton, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We take control of all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Affton, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Affton, 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, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old 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 owing to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how frequently they have to take a break, those regulations are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of steering them, slick roads or Affton, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. In some cases 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 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 inspections of over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections required. Some Affton, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Affton, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Affton, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not adequately repair it.

Once your talented Affton, MO bus accident attorney deduces the cause of your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers 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 highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Affton, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to perform 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 must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Affton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly 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 place the blame on somebody else, your Affton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Affton or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people involved and because they frequently happen in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Affton, 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 injury liability cases. If you seek to file a suit 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 Affton, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your injury. 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 stop driving when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Affton, 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 ascend a bus you trust that driver with your well-being 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 aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances 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 hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Affton, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain 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 crash in Affton and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is liable, a school district in Affton, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not conduct 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 Affton, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect 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 received a sprained wrist that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Affton, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic 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 Affton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect a great 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We utilize our network 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Affton, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get maximum 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

Call Our Affton, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Affton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to win you the the best possible 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 consultation.