Bus Accident Attorney in Jefferson City, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Jefferson City, MO. If you or a family member 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 almost never receive equal attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can frequently be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Jefferson City, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent effects for you or the people you care about. Your Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you secure the best possible compensation that you are owed for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Jefferson City and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Many Jefferson City, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Jefferson City, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical bills and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury only because another person did not respect the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Jefferson City, 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 begin working on your claim at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Jefferson City, MO because of another person's reckless actions, learn how much your claim may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Jefferson City, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus under the impression that that the appropriate safety measures were adhered to. Jefferson City, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have a responsibility to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to really recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic instances can even result in wrongful death. The Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and work relentlessly until you win the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Jefferson City, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those Jefferson City, 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 compassionate, experienced and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Jefferson City, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your case. You can bank on an accomplished 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to obtain key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are generally other passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain additional 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 repairs were done on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Jefferson City, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to make certain you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Jefferson City, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those deceptive maneuvers will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We collect no attorneys fees until you get full compensation. If you or a family member has been harmed in a disastrous 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 role to play in operating a bus in a safe manner you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Jefferson City, 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? | Jefferson City, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver action. While the same study found that just 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a serious offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those regulations 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 followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slick roads or Jefferson City, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 people responsible for reviews for more than 765,000 motor carriers, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep up with the amount of inspections needed. Some Jefferson City, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are mandated to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous 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
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Jefferson City, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Jefferson City, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to repair the condition but either did not do so quickly enough or did not properly repair it.

Once your talented Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons for your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with winning you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, 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 certain that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to stave off sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have stated that their driver was eating when the crash occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Jefferson City, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date 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 maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly predisposed to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be mindful in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Jefferson City, 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 crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to confirm the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 somebody else, your Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Jefferson City 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 generally transpire in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Jefferson City, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort claims. 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 Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your accident. 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash because of negligence. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Jefferson City, 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 ascend a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

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

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus crash in Jefferson City and Missouri. Nationally, school bus accidents account for 40 percent of all fatal bus accidents. While often the driver, bus company or bus manufacturer is responsible, a school district in Jefferson City, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially bad or they did not conduct 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 Jefferson City, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will typically be based on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Jefferson City, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have experienced a disastrous 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 Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you are awarded a great 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 with our team of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you are awarded full 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 Jefferson City, 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 family. Your Jefferson City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained 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 complimentary case evaluation.