Bus Accident Attorney in California, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in California, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a catastrophic 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 equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust California, 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 terrible, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or your family. Your California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you receive the best possible compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in California and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless behavior. Many California, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help California, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also handle the emotional impact of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a California, MO bus accident, reach out to 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 immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in California, MO because of someone else's reckless behavior, find out how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a California, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus under the impression that that the appropriate safety arrangements were followed. California, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a duty to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible instances can even lead to wrongful death. The California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you recover the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured California, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those California, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be unforgiving to California, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our California, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your case. You can expect a veteran and talented 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 acquire key evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically other passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, as well as key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law California, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of California, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to make sure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant California, 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 claim. 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 refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We manage 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 are fully compensated. If you or a family member has been harmed 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 part to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled California, 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 determine what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications 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 obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slick roads or California, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections required. Some California, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are adequately 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 crashing. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the California, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local California, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not properly repair it.

Once your accomplished California, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically 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 look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed 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 due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that California, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially prone to breaking down and bus companies must 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 strict background checks. Your California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to verify the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered 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 may try to place the blame on somebody else, your California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure at-fault parties are held accountable for their actions.

The California or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the California, 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 tort cases. If you want 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 necessary to get in touch with a California, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your accident. 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 through driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the California, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you get on 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 confident that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may share 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 harm you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned California, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the category of bus crash we most commonly see in California 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 liable, a school district in California, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially bad or they did not perform 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 California, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will impact they have on your life. You may have gotten a mild concussion that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in California, 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 assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you secure a fair 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 with our team of medical and economic experts to determine 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's California, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get 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 California, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your California, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.