Bus Accident Attorney in Harrisonville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Harrisonville, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a devastating 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 equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Harrisonville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your loved ones. Your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you get the best possible compensation that you deserve 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 Harrisonville and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Harrisonville, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Harrisonville, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for extortionate medical bills and also work through the emotional scars of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Harrisonville, 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 get started on your claim immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you deserve.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Harrisonville, MO because of somebody else's careless behavior, learn how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Harrisonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus presuming that the proper safety arrangements were followed. Harrisonville, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have an obligation to follow, but sometimes they neglect those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really heal from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start working on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you win 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 deceive injured Harrisonville, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those Harrisonville, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the difficult cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Harrisonville, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a veteran and skilled 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 obtain vital evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and important details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were performed on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Harrisonville, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute precisely how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our knowledge and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Stand up to resistant Harrisonville, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your well-being. 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 schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you get full compensation. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every category 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? | Harrisonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under the age of 25, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver behavior. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different 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 example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly those that drive for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy 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 often 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 mandatory or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the difficulty of maneuvering them, icy roads or Harrisonville, MO construction areas can be especially hazardous for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, 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 personnel responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors typically cannot keep up with the number of inspections needed. Some Harrisonville, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Harrisonville, MO street, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Harrisonville, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not properly repair it.

Once your accomplished Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to establish who is responsible for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

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 patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules in regards to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Moreover, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Harrisonville, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Harrisonville, 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 transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be dangerous. 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 might attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Harrisonville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be calamitous because of the amount of people involved and because they frequently happen in metropolitan areas. While you can seek compensation from the Harrisonville, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies and government employees than for the average citizen in tort cases. If you want 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 necessary to call a Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney right away after your injury. Do not delay, 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 careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Harrisonville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto wreck, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may bear 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 harm you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and seasoned Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most commonly see in Harrisonville 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 at fault, a school district in Harrisonville, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road 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 Harrisonville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically depend on the severity of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Harrisonville, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a devastating 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 Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We use 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Harrisonville, 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 Harrisonville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Harrisonville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, trustworthy and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past two decades to secure 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 consultation.