Bus Accident Attorney in Cass County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Cass County, MO. If you or a loved one 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 rarely ever receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Cass County, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or your family. Your Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect 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 fighting for the rights of the injured in Cass County and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their reckless actions. Many Cass County, MO residents have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Cass County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical bills and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Cass County, MO bus accident, call 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 at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Cass County, 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 Cass County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus assuming that the proper safety measures were adhered to. Cass County, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to respect, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic cases can even result in wrongful death. The Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and will not let up until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Cass County, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Cass County, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and aggressive 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 difficult to comprehend for Cass County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Cass County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your claim. You can anticipate an accomplished and savvy 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 at the site at any time during the day or night in order to obtain essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Cass County, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Utilize our network of Cass County, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Cass County, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your well-being. 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 schemes 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We manage 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 are fairly compensated. If you or a family member has been hurt in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Cass County, 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 find out who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Cass 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, 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 stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially the ones that work for 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 specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break 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 mandatory or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of steering them, slippery roads or Cass County, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for over 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Cass County, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are required to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Cass County, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Cass County, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your experienced Cass County, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your crash, they will be able to determine who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

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 facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. 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 when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed 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 owing to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Cass County, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident may be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, 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 strict background checks. Your Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a full 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 verify the safety of their products and immediately announce recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Cass County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they often happen in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Cass County, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in personal injury 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 essential to call a Cass County, 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck due to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Cass 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 get on a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, 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 accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and veteran Cass County, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most typically see in Cass 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 responsible, a school district in Cass County, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor or they did not perform adequate 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 Cass County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Cass County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you collect 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 use our team of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Cass County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover full 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 Cass County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the immense pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Cass County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, trustworthy and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to secure 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.