Bus Accident Attorney in Belton, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Belton, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents hardly ever get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be just as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Belton, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Belton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Belton 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 behavior. Many Belton, MO families have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Belton, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for extortionate medical costs and also work through the emotional trauma of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a Belton, 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 consultation. We begin working 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 Belton, MO because of another person's reckless behavior, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Belton, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus assuming that the correct safety measures were adhered to. Belton, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Belton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case immediately, and will not let up until you win the full compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Belton, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they deserve. Those Belton, 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, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be unforgiving to Belton, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Belton, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can expect an experienced 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 during the day or night in order to obtain important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Belton, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Belton, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Belton, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line 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 deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus 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 family member has been injured in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed 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 discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Belton, 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 discover what entity is responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced drivers under 25 years old, as well as 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 due to an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found 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 large portion of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines 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 often 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 required or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Belton, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Belton, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Belton, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Belton, 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 properly repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Belton, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with winning you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers 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 saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could lead to 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 reported that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Belton, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to conduct routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Belton, 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 accident took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to guarantee the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. 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 place the blame on somebody else, your Belton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Belton or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Belton, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. 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 urgent to contact a Belton, MO bus accident attorney straight 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 driving 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 due to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Belton, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies 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 seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases 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 injure you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Belton, 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 accident we most commonly see in Belton 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 responsible, a school district in Belton, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous or they did not perform 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 Belton, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will generally be based on the gravity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Belton, MO and a short time 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 Belton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded 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 network of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Belton, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you are awarded 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 Belton, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Belton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case evaluation.