Bus Accident Attorney in Hazelwood, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Hazelwood, MO. If you or a family member has been hurt in a devastating bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents hardly ever receive the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Hazelwood, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they break that trust and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your family. Your Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you receive 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 fighting for the rights of the injured in Hazelwood and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held accountable for their thoughtless actions. Many Hazelwood, MO individuals have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have secured 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 right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Hazelwood, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose wages, pay for pricey medical bills and also manage the emotional impact of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Hazelwood, 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 free case evaluation. We get started 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 Hazelwood, MO because of somebody else's negligent actions, find out how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Hazelwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus assuming that the correct safety arrangements were followed. Hazelwood, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent rules they have a responsibility to obey, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not need to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we begin investigating on your case at once, and work relentlessly until you win the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Hazelwood, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Hazelwood, 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 empathetic, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Hazelwood, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can bank on an accomplished and savvy 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 of the day or night in order to obtain 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 generally many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Acquire further 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. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Hazelwood, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our know-how and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Hazelwood, 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 the fight to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the 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 fair compensation. 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?

Because 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 was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Hazelwood, 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? | Hazelwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their 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 the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident occurred.
• Driver behavior. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to a grave 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, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially 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 fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those rules 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 hazards. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, slick roads or Hazelwood, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus commuters. In some cases 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 bodies, 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 inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some Hazelwood, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Hazelwood, MO road, the better your chances of holding the liable parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Hazelwood, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the condition but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your skilled Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to determine who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite insisting that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically required to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off sleepiness. 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 found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have said that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Hazelwood, MO buses are properly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be the result of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be vigilant in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to verify the safety of their products and immediately announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently faulty design or do not recall a component that they knew or should have known was not functioning adequately, they are guilty of product liability. While they might attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Hazelwood or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they usually happen in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Hazelwood, 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 suits. If you seek 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 crucial to call a Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney straight 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 a negligent or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Hazelwood, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may be responsible for a portion 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Hazelwood, 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 kind of bus crash we most commonly see in Hazelwood 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 Hazelwood, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially bad 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 Hazelwood, 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 only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Hazelwood, 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 special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with 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 grave your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get 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 Hazelwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Hazelwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, 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 are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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 consultation.