Bus Accident Attorney in Drexel, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Drexel, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a devastating 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 get equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be just as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Drexel, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the full compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Drexel and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held responsible for their reckless behavior. Many Drexel, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Drexel, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also work through the emotional scars of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Drexel, MO bus accident, get in touch with the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We get started on your case at once, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Drexel, MO because of another person's thoughtless actions, learn how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Drexel, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus assuming that the correct safety arrangements were adhered to. Drexel, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Drexel, 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 start investigating on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you recover the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Drexel, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Drexel, 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 empathetic, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Drexel, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Drexel, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and savvy 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are usually other passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, and important details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Drexel, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Drexel, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Drexel, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line 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 schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight to trial if the insurance company will not 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 by your side the whole time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a loved one 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 it takes so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Drexel, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to find out what entity is liable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Drexel, 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 error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a serious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued 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 frequently 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 mandatory or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Drexel, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 personnel responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep pace with the number of inspections needed. Some Drexel, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too many hours 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 lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Drexel, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Drexel, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your experienced Drexel, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your wreck, they will be able to establish who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with winning you maximum 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 considered common carriers under the law, 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 make sure that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed as too many breaks could result in 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 when the crash occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Drexel, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained 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 because of a bus company either failing to carry out routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially prone 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 sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Drexel, 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 wreck transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to confirm the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls if a product is found to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently defective 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 try to shift the blame to somebody else, your Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Drexel or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually occur in densely populated areas. While you can seek compensation from the Drexel, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. If you seek 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 imperative to get in touch with a Drexel, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident owing to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Drexel, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible 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 sure that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may share 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 harm you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Drexel, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are at fault 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 typically see in Drexel 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 Drexel, 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 Drexel, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Drexel, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have experienced a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

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

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Drexel, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 case review.