Bus Accident Attorney in Kearney, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Kearney, MO. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 rarely ever get the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be equally as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Kearney, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you receive the maximum compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Kearney and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to take responsibility for their reckless behavior. Many Kearney, MO residents have put their cases 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 determination, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Kearney, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for expensive medical costs and also handle the emotional impact of your injury just because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Kearney, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case review. We begin working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

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

Do I Need a Kearney, 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 got on the bus under the assumption that the proper safety arrangements were adhered to. Kearney, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have a duty to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have permanent consequences or in the most terrible cases can even result in wrongful death. The Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side so you do not have to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start working on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you get the full compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Kearney, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Kearney, 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, 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 convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Kearney, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Kearney, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and knowledgeable 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 secure key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry many passengers, there are often many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Several different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Kearney, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Use our network of Kearney, MO crash 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 use our experience and expertise to make certain you get it.
• Stand up to resistant Kearney, 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 schemes will not work in your case.
• Take the fight in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole 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 maximum compensation. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to operate 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. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Kearney, 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 needs to be held responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Kearney, 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 transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become fatigued and can even fall asleep at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 required or complied with.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Kearney, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus commuters. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that is the 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 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Kearney, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make sure that their drivers are adequately trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some typical examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Kearney, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Kearney, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not properly repair it.

Once your accomplished Kearney, MO bus accident attorney determines the cause of your crash, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with getting you a maximum financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, 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 hours 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 technically 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 rarely 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. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have stated that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Kearney, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or failing to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the crash occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their vehicles and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a malfunctioning product. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Kearney or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they typically occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Kearney, 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 claims. If you seek to file a suit 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 imperative to reach out to a Kearney, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your injury. 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 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 crash because of negligence. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Kearney, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held responsible just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you get on 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 certain that the devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may share 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 injure you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and accomplished Kearney, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are at fault and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the the kind of bus accident we most typically see in Kearney 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 Kearney, MO may also be held responsible, 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 Kearney, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will generally depend on the seriousness of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained ankle that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Kearney, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced 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 Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work alongside our team of medical and economic experts to quantify the exact dollar amount you are owed, 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Kearney, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you collect maximum 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 Kearney, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Kearney, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to get you the full recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt 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.