Bus Accident Attorney in Excelsior Springs, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Excelsior Springs, MO. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 get equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be equally as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Excelsior Springs, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you get the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Excelsior Springs and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held accountable for their negligent behavior. Many Excelsior Springs, MO individuals have put their cases 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 determination, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Excelsior Springs, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical bills and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury only because somebody else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Excelsior Springs, 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 case review. We start working on your case straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Excelsior Springs, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus under the assumption that the appropriate safety protocols were obeyed. Excelsior Springs, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those duties 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 fully heal from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case immediately, and will not let up until you are awarded the best possible compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Excelsior Springs, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Excelsior Springs, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, veteran and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Excelsior Springs, 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 Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a veteran and talented 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 acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to important details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Excelsior Springs, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our savvy and expertise to make certain you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Excelsior Springs, MO insurance companies who care more about 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 duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial 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.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you are fairly compensated. If you or someone you care about has been injured 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 it requires so many people to run a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Excelsior Springs, 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 find out what entity needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Excelsior Springs, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, 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 found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy 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 regulations are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not required or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of driving them, slick roads or Excelsior Springs, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections required. Some Excelsior Springs, MO bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and crashing. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Excelsior Springs, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Excelsior Springs, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found negligent 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 look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed 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 caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Excelsior Springs, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident may be the result of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine inspections or failing to fix 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 able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct 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 verify the safety of their products and quickly issue 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 correctly, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to shift the blame to somebody else, your Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Excelsior Springs 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 frequently take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Excelsior Springs, 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 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 crucial to get in touch with a Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck due to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Excelsior Springs, 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 safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, 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 thoughtlessness, 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and experienced Excelsior Springs, 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 the kind of bus accident we most commonly see in Excelsior Springs 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 Excelsior Springs, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly bad or they did not conduct 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 Excelsior Springs, 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 ramifications they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Excelsior Springs, 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 assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you are awarded 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We utilize our network of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive 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 Excelsior Springs, 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 Excelsior Springs, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to get you the the best possible 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 review.