Bus Accident Attorney in Eldon, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Eldon, MO. If you or a loved one 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 rarely receive the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be similarly dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Eldon, 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 permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Eldon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you get the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Eldon and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless actions. Our Eldon, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Eldon, 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 only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Eldon, 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 complimentary consultation. We begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Eldon, MO because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Eldon, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety protocols were followed. Eldon, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws 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 exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst instances can even cause wrongful death. The Eldon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case straight away, and will not let up until you receive the best possible compensation you are owed. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Eldon, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those Eldon, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, experienced and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be unforgiving to Eldon, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Eldon, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your claim. You can expect a veteran and skilled 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 of the day or night in order to secure key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are generally a lot of passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Eldon, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Eldon, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our know-how and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Eldon, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take the fight to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole time. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you are fully compensated. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 role to play in operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Eldon, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every type of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to determine who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and 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 happened.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly those 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 fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have rules 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 followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of steering them, icy roads or Eldon, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be 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 entities, 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 personnel responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep up with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Eldon, MO bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Eldon, MO road, the better your chances of holding the liable parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Eldon, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to eliminate the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Eldon, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, 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 ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Eldon, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Eldon, 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 crash took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to certify the safety of their products and quickly announce recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. 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 may attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Eldon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Eldon or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they frequently happen in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Eldon, MO government, there are particular 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 want to file a suit 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 imperative to contact a Eldon, 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 a crash through recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Eldon, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you 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 devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may share a percentage 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 injured in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and veteran Eldon, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus crash we most typically see in Eldon 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 Eldon, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially dangerous or they did not perform proper 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 Eldon, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Eldon, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a disastrous 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 Eldon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded a fair 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 utilize our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Eldon, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you recover maximum 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 Eldon, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Eldon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past 20 years to get you the full 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 free consultation.