Bus Accident Attorney in Gladstone, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Gladstone, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic 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 almost never get the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be just as dangerous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Gladstone, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you recover the full compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Gladstone and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Gladstone, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and to date we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, devotion, resolution, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Gladstone, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for extortionate medical costs and also handle the emotional scars of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Gladstone, 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 case review. We start 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 Gladstone, MO because of someone else's thoughtless behavior, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Gladstone, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus assuming that the correct safety measures were followed. Gladstone, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a responsibility to respect, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst instances can even cause wrongful death. The Gladstone, 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 start working on your case straight away, and work tirelessly until you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Gladstone, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Gladstone, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the passionate, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Gladstone, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every aspect of your case. You can anticipate a seasoned 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to acquire important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are usually other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of winning your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Many different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Gladstone, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Gladstone, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your injuries. 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 does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire 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 family member has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Gladstone, 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 needs to be held liable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and 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 occurred.
• Driver behavior. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations 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 enforced or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of maneuvering them, slick roads or Gladstone, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but not nearly 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 inspectors responsible for reviews for over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections required. Some Gladstone, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are required to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Gladstone, MO street, the better your chances of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Gladstone, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your wreck, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with securing you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off fatigue. 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 caused by driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the accident took place, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Gladstone, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired 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 conduct routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, 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 strict background checks. Your Gladstone, 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 accident took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and swiftly announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 might try to place the blame on somebody else, your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Gladstone or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they generally transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Gladstone, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability cases. If you want 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 crucial to call a Gladstone, 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 an at-fault or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck due to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Gladstone, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your safety 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 collision, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may bear a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine 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 commonly see in Gladstone 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 Gladstone, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially 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 Gladstone, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will usually depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have impacted 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 Gladstone, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you secure 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We use our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively 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:

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

Call Our Gladstone, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Gladstone, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past two decades to win you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not wait another second. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.