Bus Accident Attorney in Bowling Green, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Bowling Green, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a destructive 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 almost never receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be similarly harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Bowling Green, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you recover the best possible compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Bowling Green and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their reckless behavior. Many Bowling Green, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Bowling Green, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional trauma of your injury only because another person broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Bowling Green, 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 complimentary case evaluation. We begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

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

Do I Need a Bowling Green, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus assuming that the correct safety measures were obeyed. Bowling Green, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have an obligation to obey, but sometimes they fail in those obligations 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 really recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you recover the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Bowling Green, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they are owed. Those Bowling Green, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be unforgiving to Bowling Green, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can anticipate an accomplished 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are generally many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Bowling Green, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our experience and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Bowling Green, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your claim. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole 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 collect no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a family member has been injured in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it necessitates so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Bowling Green, 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 is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Bowling Green, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 behavior. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a severe offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed 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 drowsy and can even fall asleep behind 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 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 complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of driving them, slippery roads or Bowling Green, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus passengers. Sometimes 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 inspections of over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some Bowling Green, MO bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, 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 result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

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

Once your talented Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault 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 at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle 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 stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Bowling Green, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's duty. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the accident occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to certify the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be defective. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 shift the blame to someone else, your Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Bowling Green or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently transpire in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Bowling Green, 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 injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is crucial to call a Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Bowling Green, 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 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 dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, 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 injured in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Bowling Green, 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 kind of bus crash we most commonly see in Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not carry out 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 Bowling Green, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Bowling Green, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received 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 Bowling Green, 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 potential

  We work alongside our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect maximum 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 Bowling Green, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Bowling Green, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past two decades to secure you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. 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 free case evaluation.