Bus Accident Attorney in Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. If you or a family member has been hurt in a destructive 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 equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be just as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and disregard the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong effects for you or the people you care about. Your Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you collect the maximum compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Fort Leonard Wood and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held accountable for their thoughtless behavior. Many Fort Leonard Wood, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, resolution, knowledge and experience to help deliver justice in personal injury cases and help Fort Leonard Wood, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also manage the emotional trauma of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We start working on your claim right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Fort Leonard Wood, MO because of someone else's reckless actions, learn how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Fort Leonard Wood, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have received injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus assuming that the adequate safety measures were obeyed. Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have an obligation to obey, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and will not let up until you receive the full compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Fort Leonard Wood, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Fort Leonard Wood, 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 passionate, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Fort Leonard Wood, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your case. You can anticipate a veteran and talented 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 on the scene at any time during the day or night in order to acquire key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are usually a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as important details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Fort Leonard Wood, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to make sure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Fort Leonard Wood, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the 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 full compensation. If you or a family member has been harmed in a devastating 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 operate 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 Fort Leonard Wood, 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 discover who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Fort Leonard Wood, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident happened.
• Driver behavior. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a severe offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy 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 require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break 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 obligated or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of steering them, slippery roads or Fort Leonard Wood, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep up with the number of inspections required. Some Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies are required to make sure 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. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Fort Leonard Wood, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Fort Leonard Wood, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to ascertain who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you a maximum financial recovery. 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 legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often 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. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Fort Leonard Wood, MO buses are properly 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 may be because of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must 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 able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Fort Leonard Wood, 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 wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their products and swiftly announce recalls if a product is discovered to be unsafe. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 may try to place the blame on someone else, your Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Fort Leonard Wood or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be devastating because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they often take place in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Fort Leonard Wood, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort cases. 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 necessary to get in touch with a Fort Leonard Wood, 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 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 reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Fort Leonard Wood, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable 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 obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a percentage 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 accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and veteran Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are responsible 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 Fort Leonard Wood 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 Fort Leonard Wood, 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically be based on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained ankle that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Fort Leonard Wood, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced a devastating 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 Fort Leonard Wood, 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our team 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive 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 Fort Leonard Wood, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Fort Leonard Wood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.