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Bus Accident Attorney in Carl Junction, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Carl Junction, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a catastrophic 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 receive equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be equally as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Carl Junction, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you win the maximum compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Carl Junction and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their careless behavior. Our Carl Junction, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Carl Junction, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also manage the emotional impact of your injury just because another person broke the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Carl Junction, 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 case review. We begin working on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Carl Junction, MO because of someone else's thoughtless actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Carl Junction, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety protocols were adhered to. Carl Junction, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have an obligation to follow, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have permanent effects or in the worst cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you recover the full compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Carl Junction, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they entitled to. Those Carl Junction, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.
Legal procedures are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Carl Junction, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your case. You can anticipate a veteran and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the crash site as soon as possible. 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 secure essential evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically other people who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Collect further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
- Work with our network of Carl Junction, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our know-how and expertise to make certain you receive it.
- Fight back against resistant Carl Junction, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
- Take your case 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 win you a full financial recovery for your damages.
Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend 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 someone you care about has been injured in a disastrous 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 caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Carl Junction, 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 who needs to be held liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Carl Junction, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice 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 took place.
- Driver behavior. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a severe offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, especially those that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 obligated or followed.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Carl Junction, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is true in your case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, but not nearly 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 more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections required. Some Carl Junction, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are obligated to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
- Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
- Faulty or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Insufficient lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Carl Junction, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Carl Junction, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.
Once your knowledgeable Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney deduces the cause of your wreck, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with winning you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident cases.
Commercial Bus Lines
Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off 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 reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which is an example of distracted driving.
Ensuring that Carl Junction, MO buses are sufficiently 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 could be the result of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.
Finally, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Carl Junction, 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 accident transpired.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to ensure the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.
The Carl Junction or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people involved and because they typically take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Carl Junction, 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 claims. 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 essential to call a Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident because of driving mistakes. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Carl Junction, 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 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 certain that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can hurt you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and experienced Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the type of bus accident we most typically see in Carl Junction and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is at fault, a school district in Carl Junction, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly poor or they did not carry out 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 Carl Junction, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Carl Junction, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a devastating 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 Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect a maximum 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 potential
We work with our team of medical and economic experts to calculate the exact dollar amount you deserve, 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you recover the best possible compensation for all of your damages.
Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:
Call Our Carl Junction, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Carl Junction, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.