Bus Accident Attorney in Ashland, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Ashland, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a catastrophic 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 almost never receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Ashland, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you secure the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Ashland and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their negligent behavior. Our Ashland, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Ashland, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for extortionate medical bills and also handle the emotional toll of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Ashland, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We get started on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Ashland, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus under the assumption that the appropriate safety arrangements were obeyed. Ashland, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities 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 tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Ashland, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Ashland, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, veteran and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be unforgiving to Ashland, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Ashland, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and savvy 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 of the day or night in order to acquire essential 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 almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Ashland, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Utilize our network of Ashland, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Ashland, 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 schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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. We collect no attorneys fees until you get maximum compensation. 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?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Ashland, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every kind of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Ashland, 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, 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 reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones that drive for commercial bus lines 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 specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently they have to take a break, those rules 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 hazards. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of steering them, slick roads or Ashland, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some Ashland, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are correctly 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 common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Ashland, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Ashland, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not properly repair it.

Once your talented Ashland, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to determine who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. In despite of insisting that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed 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. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Ashland, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's duty. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to confirm the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently defective 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 try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Ashland or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Ashland, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. If you want 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 Ashland, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 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 a crash because of recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Ashland, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Ashland, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most typically see in Ashland 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 at fault, a school district in Ashland, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor 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 Ashland, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Ashland, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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 capacity

  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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Ashland, 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 Ashland, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Ashland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired 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 delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.