Bus Accident Attorney in Bolivar, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Bolivar, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be equally as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Bolivar, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong effects for you or the people you care about. Your Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the maximum compensation that you are entitled to 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 Bolivar and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Our Bolivar, MO clients have put their cases 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, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Bolivar, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also manage the emotional toll of your injury just because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Bolivar, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We get started on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

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

Do I Need a Bolivar, 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 got on board the bus under the impression that that the adequate safety measures were adhered to. Bolivar, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a duty to obey, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and will not let up until you get the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Bolivar, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Bolivar, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, 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 complex and can be unforgiving to Bolivar, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your case. You can expect an experienced and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site immediately. 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 obtain vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are typically other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, as well as important details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Bolivar, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and calculate precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Bolivar, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your injuries. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We oversee 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 you get maximum compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured in a catastrophic 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 role to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Bolivar, 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 discover who needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver error. While the same study found that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were due to an egregious 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 wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become drowsy and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often 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, icy roads or Bolivar, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Bolivar, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards 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
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Bolivar, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Bolivar, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your talented Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the cause of your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident claims.

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 customers to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed 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 caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Bolivar, MO buses are sufficiently 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 failing to conduct routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

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

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 defective. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 may attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Bolivar or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually transpire in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Bolivar, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. If you seek to file a suit 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 essential to call a Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 an at-fault or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident through negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Bolivar, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous 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 health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may be responsible for 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 injure you. If you were hurt in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

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

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will usually depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Bolivar, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic 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 Bolivar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We utilize our team 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Bolivar, 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 Bolivar, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and devastating effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Bolivar, 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 secure you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 consultation.