Bus Accident Attorney in Audrain County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Audrain County, MO. If you or a family member has been injured 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 ever receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Audrain County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect the maximum compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Audrain County and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their careless actions. Our Audrain County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Audrain County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also manage the emotional scars of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Audrain County, 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 review. We get started on your claim immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Audrain County, 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 boarded the bus presuming that the proper safety protocols were followed. Audrain County, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they neglect 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 truly heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you win the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Audrain County, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Audrain County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Audrain County, 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 cases. When you hire our Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your claim. You can anticipate a seasoned and talented 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 on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to secure key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are often many people who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as important details such as how many miles 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 give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Utilize our network of Audrain County, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to ensure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Audrain County, 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 weasel their way out of their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys 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 finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, 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 we win your case. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Audrain County, 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 determine what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Audrain County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice 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 took place.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan reported 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 good deal of bus drivers, particularly 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 sleepy 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 hazards. Given buses’ mass and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slick roads or Audrain County, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but much less than 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 just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the quantity of inspections required. Some Audrain County, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are required to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in 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, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

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

Once your skilled Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave 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 found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have said that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Audrain County, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be the result of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to certify the safety of their vehicles and swiftly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently flawed design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Audrain County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be calamitous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently transpire in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Audrain County, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury suits. If you want to make a claim 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 Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident because of driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Audrain County, 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 ascend a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may shoulder a portion 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Audrain County 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 liable, a school district in Audrain County, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not carry out sufficient 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 Audrain County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will usually be based on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Audrain County, 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 assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you receive 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 capacity

  We work with 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get full compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Audrain County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Audrain County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 complimentary case review.