Bus Accident Attorney in Kirksville, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Kirksville, MO. If you or a family member 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 hardly ever receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be similarly hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Kirksville, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent outcomes for you or your family. Your Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you receive the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Kirksville and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their careless actions. Our Kirksville, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our knowledgeable hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, commitment, resolution, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Kirksville, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also deal with the emotional toll of your injury only because another person disregarded the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Kirksville, 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 complimentary consultation. We get started on your claim immediately, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Kirksville, MO because of another person's careless behavior, learn how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Kirksville, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the one driving and you boarded the bus under the assumption that the adequate safety arrangements were obeyed. Kirksville, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they have a duty to follow, but sometimes they fail in those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is generally exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most tragic instances can even cause wrongful death. The Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and will not let up until you win the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Kirksville, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they deserve. Those Kirksville, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the passionate, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is complicated and can be difficult to comprehend for Kirksville, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over 20 years of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can anticipate an accomplished and skilled 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 acquire key evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are typically many passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how many miles the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Many different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work with our network of Kirksville, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our savvy and expertise to ensure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Kirksville, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and weasel their way out of their obligation to compensate you. 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 does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, 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 get the best possible compensation. If you or someone you care about 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 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. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Kirksville, 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 find out who is liable for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 transpired.
• Driver behavior. While the same study reported that a mere 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 accidents had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy 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 rules are often <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/us/greyhound-investigation/" target="_blank” rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener title="CNN"not obligated or followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, slippery roads or Kirksville, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is negligent. 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 inspectors 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 frequently cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections required. Some Kirksville, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies are mandated to make certain that their drivers are properly trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the dangerous condition has been on the Kirksville, MO road, the better your odds of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Kirksville, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not correctly repair it.

Once your experienced Kirksville, 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 getting you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not being overworked. Despite 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 obliged to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is rarely followed as too many breaks could cause 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 customers have stated that their driver was eating when the crash happened, which constitutes distracted driving.

Ensuring that Kirksville, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to provide routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be properly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Kirksville, 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 wreck transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a duty to ensure the safety of their products and quickly issue recalls if a product is found to be defective. If they approve an inherently unsafe 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 try to shift the blame to someone else, your Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Kirksville or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be catastrophic because of the number of people who could be injured and because they often occur in densely populated areas. While you can make a claim against the Kirksville, 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 suits. 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 contact a Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney right away 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 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 owing to driving mistakes. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Kirksville, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the foolish decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers 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 duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be sure that the committed and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may share a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney will help you determine if they are at fault 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 Kirksville 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 liable, a school district in Kirksville, MO may also be held accountable, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly poor 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 Kirksville, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will usually depend on the severity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have gotten a sprained wrist that just needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Kirksville, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have experienced a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure 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 utilize our team 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 serious your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get the best possible 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 Kirksville, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Kirksville, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have acquired over the past 20 years to secure you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 complimentary consultation.