Bus Accident Attorney in Fulton, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Fulton, 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 almost never get equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Fulton, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your family. Your Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you win 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 Fulton and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held accountable for their reckless behavior. Many Fulton, MO families 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, devotion, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Fulton, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical costs and also work through the emotional toll of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Fulton, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We begin working on your claim straight away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Fulton, MO because of another person's negligent actions, discover how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Fulton, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus presuming that the correct safety protocols were obeyed. Fulton, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have an obligation to follow, but sometimes they neglect those responsibilities 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 terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case right away, and will not let up until you win the maximum compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Fulton, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Fulton, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, accomplished and relentless 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 Fulton, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Fulton, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your claim. You can anticipate an experienced and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site the first chance we get. 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 important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are often a lot of passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will perform official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Fulton, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Fulton, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Fulton, MO insurance companies who care more about 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 tricks 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 win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire 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 you are fairly compensated. If you or a loved one has been injured in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed 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 discover the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Fulton, 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 find out what entity is responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a grave offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued 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 often they have to take a break, those regulations 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 awkwardness of driving them, slick roads or Fulton, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews typically cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Fulton, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Fulton, MO road, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Fulton, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not correctly repair it.

Once your expert Fulton, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons for your accident, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you maximum compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed 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 ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the accident happened, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Fulton, MO buses are sufficiently 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 failing to provide routine inspections or failing 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.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will conduct 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 a duty to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and swiftly 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 may attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Fulton or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the amount of people involved and because they usually happen in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Fulton, 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 claims. If you want to make a claim 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 crucial to get in touch with a Fulton, 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or careless 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 texting, did not stop when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Fulton, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible 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 duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some cases 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 hurt in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and veteran Fulton, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are responsible 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 Fulton and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus wrecks. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is at fault, a school district in Fulton, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially 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 Fulton, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically depend on the seriousness of your injuries and how they have affected 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 Fulton, 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 Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Fulton, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you are awarded the best possible compensation for all of your damages.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Fulton, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Fulton, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, trustworthy and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to win you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 evaluation.