Bus Accident Attorney in Bates City, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Bates City, MO. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a destructive 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 receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Bates City, 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 ruinous, sometimes permanent effects for you or your family. Your Bates City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you win the best possible compensation that you are owed 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 Bates City and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their reckless actions. Our Bates City, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Bates City, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also work through the emotional shock of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Bates City, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We start working on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Bates City, MO because of someone else's careless actions, learn how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Bates City, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety measures were followed. Bates City, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have an obligation to respect, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The Bates City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case at once, and will not let up until you receive the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Bates City, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Bates City, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran 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 Bates City, 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 fight. When you hire our Bates City, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can anticipate a veteran and knowledgeable 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 important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are usually other people who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Bates City, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Bates City, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make certain you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Bates City, 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 avoid their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers 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 expert litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it requires 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 is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Bates City, 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 who needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Bates City, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a severe offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy 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 fatigued and can even fall asleep at 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 regulations are frequently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of steering them, slippery roads or Bates City, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections needed. Some Bates City, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Bates City, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Bates City, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not adequately repair it.

Once your skilled Bates City, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the cause of your accident, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Bates City, 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 a consequence of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be mindful 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 Bates City, 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 happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered 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 adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they might try to place the blame on someone else, your Bates City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Bates City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people who could be injured and because they frequently transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Bates City, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities 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 accident with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is crucial to contact a Bates City, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck because of recklessness. 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 Bates City, 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 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 responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, there are often two or more drivers, 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 harm you. If you were injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Bates City, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus accident we most commonly see in Bates City 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 Bates City, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not conduct 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 Bates City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally depend on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Bates City, 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 rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Bates City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded 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 capacity

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to compute the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 Bates City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you are awarded the best possible 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 Bates City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Bates City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. 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 complimentary case evaluation.