Bus Accident Attorney in Concordia, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Concordia, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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 receive the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Concordia, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you get the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience defending the injured in Concordia and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless behavior. Our Concordia, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Concordia, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical bills and also work through the emotional shock of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Concordia, 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 begin working on your case immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

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

Do I Need a Concordia, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus assuming that the appropriate safety protocols were followed. Concordia, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 truly recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most tragic cases can even result in wrongful death. The Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and will not let up until you are awarded the full compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Concordia, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they are owed. Those Concordia, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Concordia, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Concordia, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a seasoned and savvy 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 obtain vital 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 usually other people who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Concordia, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of Concordia, 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 owed and we will use our experience and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Fight back against resistant Concordia, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for 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 your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, 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 spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get the best possible compensation. If you or a loved one 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?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in running a bus safely you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Concordia, 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 what entity is liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 stated that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for commercial bus lines 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 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 difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Concordia, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus commuters. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 inspectors responsible for inspections of over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep up with the amount of inspections needed. Some Concordia, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies need to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Concordia, MO road, the better your odds of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local Concordia, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your experienced Concordia, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your crash, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with winning you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation 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 sure that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. In despite of insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit 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 found 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 an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Concordia, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and maintained 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 neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to verify the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently dangerous design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Concordia or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they typically transpire in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Concordia, 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 injury liability suits. 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 vital to get in touch with a Concordia, MO bus accident attorney right 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against an at-fault or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to negligence. 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 Concordia, 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 their employers sometimes have to be. When you go on board 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 hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear 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 hurt you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Concordia, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Concordia 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 Concordia, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous 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 Concordia, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally be based on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have impacted 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 Concordia, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have experienced a disastrous 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 Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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 capacity

  We work with our network of medical and economic experts to compute 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Concordia, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively 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 Concordia, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Concordia, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to secure you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 evaluation.