Bus Accident Attorney in Carthage, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Carthage, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be just as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Carthage, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you win the best possible compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Carthage and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Many Carthage, MO individuals have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy 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, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Carthage, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical bills and also manage the emotional shock of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Carthage, 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 begin working on your claim right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are owed.

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

Do I Need a Carthage, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus assuming that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Carthage, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they are supposed to respect, 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 really heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you get the best possible compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Carthage, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Carthage, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and relentless 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 Carthage, 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 cases. When you hire our Carthage, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your case. You can anticipate a veteran and knowledgeable 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 important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, and key 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. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Carthage, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Carthage, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our experience and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Fight back against resistant Carthage, 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 devalue your injuries. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys 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 great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or a family member has been hurt in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it necessitates so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Carthage, 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 is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Carthage, 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 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often they have to take a break, those rules 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 obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, icy roads or Carthage, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Sometimes 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 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 inspectors responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot keep up with the number of inspections required. Some Carthage, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. 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
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Carthage, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Carthage, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Carthage, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons for your crash, they will be able to determine who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, 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 utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely 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 because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Carthage, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either failing to carry out routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Carthage, 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 crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to ensure the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls if a product is found to be hazardous. 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 attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Carthage or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be devastating because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they frequently happen in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Carthage, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort cases. If you seek 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 crucial to reach out to a Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at once 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 operating 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 crash because of negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Carthage, 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 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 sure that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are frequently 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and experienced Carthage, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most commonly see in Carthage 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 Carthage, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad 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 Carthage, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will usually be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Carthage, 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 Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with our network of medical and economic experts to quantify 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Carthage, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get 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 Carthage, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and devastating effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Carthage, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired 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 complimentary case review.