Bus Accident Attorney in Buchanan County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Buchanan County, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 rarely get the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Buchanan County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your family. Your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Buchanan County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their reckless actions. Our Buchanan County, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Buchanan County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Buchanan County, 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 claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Buchanan County, MO because of another person's careless behavior, learn how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Buchanan County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety measures were followed. Buchanan County, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they have a duty to respect, but sometimes they neglect those duties 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 effects or in the worst instances can even cause wrongful death. The Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you are awarded the maximum compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Buchanan County, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Buchanan County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Buchanan County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate an experienced and savvy bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident 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 secure key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically many people who want the same answers and compensation you need. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Buchanan County, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our savvy and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Buchanan County, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your health. 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 to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win 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 focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until you are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Buchanan County, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly those 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 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 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 complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slick roads or Buchanan County, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your 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 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Buchanan County, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Buchanan County, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Buchanan County, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your expert Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to confirm who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent 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 principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit 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 owing to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Buchanan County, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Buchanan County, 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 accident happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to ensure the safety of their products and swiftly announce recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently defective design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure at-fault parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Buchanan County 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 usually take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Buchanan County, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. If you want to make a claim 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 urgent to contact a Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your injury. 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 thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Buchanan County, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may share 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 harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are responsible and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most commonly see in Buchanan County 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 at fault, a school district in Buchanan County, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather 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 Buchanan County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will typically depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Buchanan County, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic 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 Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you secure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our network 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you are awarded 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 Buchanan County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your Buchanan County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 review.