Bus Accident Attorney in Aurora, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Aurora, MO. If you or a family member has been hurt 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 rarely receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be just as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Aurora, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their obligations and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Aurora, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you receive the maximum 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 Aurora and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their careless actions. Our Aurora, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have secured for 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 Aurora, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical bills and also deal with the emotional impact of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Aurora, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We begin working on your case at once, 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 Aurora, MO because of someone else's reckless actions, discover how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Aurora, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the adequate safety measures were adhered to. Aurora, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they are supposed to follow, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Aurora, 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 begin working on your case at once, and will not let up until you get the best possible compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Aurora, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Aurora, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and relentless 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 Aurora, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Aurora, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your case. You can anticipate an experienced and skilled 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 obtain essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are typically many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Aurora, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Utilize our network of Aurora, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your damages 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 Aurora, 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 avoid their obligation to compensate you. 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 does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a family member has been harmed 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 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 Aurora, 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 find out what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a severe offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones 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 regulations 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 enforced or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of steering them, slick roads or Aurora, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be 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 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 personnel responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Aurora, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards 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
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Aurora, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Aurora, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Aurora, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the cause of your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required 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 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. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Aurora, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, 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 Aurora, 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 wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to verify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is found to be unsafe. 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 Aurora, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Aurora or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they typically transpire in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Aurora, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort cases. If you want 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 vital to contact a Aurora, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 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 an accident through driver error. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Aurora, 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may shoulder 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 injure you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Aurora, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

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

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Aurora, 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 remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Aurora, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you receive a fair 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Aurora, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get 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

Call Our Aurora, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Aurora, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.