Bus Accident Attorney in Joplin, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Joplin, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a destructive 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 rarely ever get the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can often be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Joplin, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Joplin, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the maximum 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 Joplin and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to be held accountable for their careless actions. Many Joplin, MO families have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy 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, dedication, persistence, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Joplin, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else did not respect the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Joplin, MO bus accident, call 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 case right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Joplin, MO because of another person's thoughtless actions, discover how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Joplin, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety protocols were followed. Joplin, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have an obligation to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is frequently caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most tragic instances can even lead to wrongful death. The Joplin, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case right away, and work relentlessly until you are awarded the best possible compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Joplin, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those Joplin, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the passionate, veteran and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complex and can be unforgiving to Joplin, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Joplin, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every facet of your case. You can anticipate an experienced and talented 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 on the scene at any time of the day or night in order to acquire vital evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are almost always other people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as important details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Joplin, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work with our network of Joplin, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and calculate exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our experience and expertise to ensure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Joplin, MO insurance companies who care more about their profits than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their responsibility to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company refuses to 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 whole time. We take control of all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can focus all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. We charge no attorneys fees until you get fair compensation. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and devoted bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it necessitates 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 Joplin, 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 find out who needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed drivers under 25 years old, 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 just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a grave offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially those that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the 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 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 required or obeyed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ mass and the awkwardness of steering them, icy roads or Joplin, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. 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 is the 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 a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors often cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Joplin, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are correctly trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Joplin, MO street, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Joplin, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your accomplished Joplin, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your wreck, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. One aspect of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. Despite insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to hold off drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed 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 owing to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Joplin, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired 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 neglecting to conduct routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Joplin, 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 duty to certify the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is discovered to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 may try to place the blame on somebody else, your Joplin, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their behavior.

The Joplin or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the amount of people involved and because they usually happen in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Joplin, 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 personal injury claims. If you want 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 necessary to reach out to a Joplin, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck through driver error. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Joplin, 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 safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle crash, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can injure you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and veteran Joplin, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm if they are at fault and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the type of bus crash we most typically see in Joplin 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 Joplin, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were especially poor 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 Joplin, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect 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 received a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Joplin, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received 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 Joplin, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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 quantify 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 Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the immense anguish and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Joplin, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to get you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 complimentary case evaluation.