Bus Accident Attorney in Jackson County, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Jackson County, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a disastrous 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 get the same attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can often be similarly hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Jackson County, 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 outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Jackson County and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Jackson County, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our knowledgeable 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 right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Jackson County, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical costs and also deal with the emotional scars of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Jackson County, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We start working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Jackson County, MO because of somebody else's thoughtless behavior, discover how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Jackson County, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus presuming that the appropriate safety protocols were followed. Jackson County, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have an obligation to obey, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have permanent effects or in the most terrible instances can even cause wrongful death. The Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case right away, and work tirelessly until you are awarded the full 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 Jackson County, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Jackson County, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran 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 Jackson County, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can expect a veteran 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 during the day or night in order to obtain vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney will find out the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work alongside our network of Jackson County, MO accident and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to make certain you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Jackson County, 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 avoid their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers 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 expert litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We handle 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 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 bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a part to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Jackson County, 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 determine who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Jackson County, 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 error. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become drowsy 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 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 difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Jackson County, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand 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 personnel responsible for inspections of over 765,000 motor carriers, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot keep pace with the quantity of inspections required. Some Jackson County, MO bus companies do not correctly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Additionally, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Jackson County, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Jackson County, 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 adequately repair it.

Once your experienced Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your accident, they will be able to determine who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward getting you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to hold off sleepiness. 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 caused by driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Jackson County, MO buses are properly 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 a consequence of a bus company either failing to perform routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Jackson County, 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 occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to certify the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. 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 might attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Jackson County or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they often happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Jackson County, 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 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 Jackson County, 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 liable or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident through negligence. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Jackson County, 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 their employers 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 responsibility to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the devoted and tenacious 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 cases they each may be responsible for 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 harmed in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and seasoned Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are liable 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 Jackson County 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 Jackson County, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially dangerous or they did not carry out 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 Jackson County, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually depend on the gravity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Jackson County, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have received a catastrophic 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 Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you receive 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 potential

  We work alongside 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 affected your life, Burger Law's Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively 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 Jackson County, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the immense pain and devastating effect it can have on your and your family. Your Jackson County, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.