Bus Accident Attorney in Hannibal, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Hannibal, MO. If you or a loved one 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 wrecks, even though the can often be similarly dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Hannibal, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you get the maximum compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Hannibal and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Many Hannibal, MO individuals have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and in total we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Hannibal, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also work through the emotional toll of your injury just because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Hannibal, 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 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 Hannibal, MO because of somebody else's negligent behavior, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Hannibal, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you got on the bus presuming that the appropriate safety arrangements were adhered to. Hannibal, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have an obligation to follow, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the most tragic instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you are awarded the best possible compensation you deserve. We have experienced with every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Hannibal, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Hannibal, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Hannibal, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can expect a veteran and knowledgeable 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 important 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 almost always other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work alongside our network of Hannibal, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Hannibal, 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 tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the whole time. We oversee 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 we win your case. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Hannibal, 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 determine who needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 error. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate 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 specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how often 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 enforced or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, slick roads or Hannibal, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot stay ahead of the quantity of inspections needed. Some Hannibal, MO bus companies do not correctly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Hannibal, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Hannibal, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to fix the problem but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your experienced Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is liable for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off 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. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Hannibal, MO buses are sufficiently 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 could be because of a bus company either neglecting to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly prone to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck 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 swiftly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be defective. 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 might attempt to shift the blame to someone else, your Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Hannibal or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be devastating because of the number of people involved and because they usually occur in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Hannibal, 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 seek 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 urgent to contact a Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney right away after your accident. 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 crash owing to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Hannibal, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable 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 to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, there are frequently 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 hurt you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are responsible and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Hannibal 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 liable, a school district in Hannibal, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous 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 Hannibal, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Hannibal, 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 assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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 capacity

  We utilize our network 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you recover maximum 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 Hannibal, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Hannibal, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and relentless 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 rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 consultation.