Bus Accident Attorney in Kirkwood, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Kirkwood, MO. If you or a family member 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 equal attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be just as hazardous and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Kirkwood, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and respect the rules. When they break that trust and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your loved ones. Your Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you recover the best possible compensation that you deserve for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Kirkwood and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their negligent behavior. Many Kirkwood, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date we have collected for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their determination, devotion, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Kirkwood, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical bills and also work through the emotional trauma of your injury just because somebody else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Kirkwood, 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 free case review. We begin working on your claim immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Kirkwood, MO because of somebody else's reckless actions, find out how much your injury may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Kirkwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus supposing that the appropriate safety protocols were followed. Kirkwood, MO bus companies and drivers have strict regulations they have a duty to follow, but sometimes they fail in those responsibilities 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 really recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst instances can even result in wrongful death. The Kirkwood, 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 begin working on your case straight away, and work relentlessly until you win the maximum compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Kirkwood, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they are owed. Those Kirkwood, 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, experienced and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complex and can be difficult to comprehend for Kirkwood, 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 fight. When you hire our Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. You can expect a veteran and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site immediately. 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 essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are almost always a lot of people who want the same answers and compensation you do. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was done on the bus. Several different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Work alongside our network of Kirkwood, 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 entitled to and we will implement our knowledge and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Kirkwood, MO insurance companies who are more concerned for their profits 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 schemes 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed entire 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 collect no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a loved one 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?

Since it necessitates so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Kirkwood, 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 is responsible for your injuries.

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

• Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that a mere 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a serious offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially the ones that are employed by 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 behind the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during a day 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 obligated or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the awkwardness of steering them, slick roads or Kirkwood, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus commuters. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you decide if that is true in your 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 people responsible for inspections of more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or a mere 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some Kirkwood, MO bus companies do not adequately repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Faulty or missing traffic signals
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Poor lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Kirkwood, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Kirkwood, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the issue but either did not do so quickly enough or did not adequately repair it.

Once your accomplished Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney deduces the cause of your accident, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with securing you the best possible compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as 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 sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of insisting that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules concerning driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to stave off sleepiness. 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 riders have stated that their driver was eating when the crash transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making sure that Kirkwood, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's duty. A bus accident may 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 susceptible to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform a full investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls if a product is discovered to be hazardous. If they approve an inherently defective 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 might attempt to place the blame on somebody else, your Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Kirkwood or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be ruinous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently occur in densely populated areas. While you can file a suit against the Kirkwood, 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 personal injury claims. If you seek 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 crucial to reach out to a Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not pull over when they were feeling drowsy, did not pay attention to the Kirkwood, 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 board a bus you trust that driver with your well-being and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may shoulder 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 harm you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Kirkwood 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 at fault, a school district in Kirkwood, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly poor or they did not carry out proper 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 Kirkwood, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the severity of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Kirkwood, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have received a devastating 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 Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make sure that you collect 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We use our network 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 severe your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly 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:

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Call Our Kirkwood, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the immense pain and calamitous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Kirkwood, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have gained over the past two decades to get you the the best possible recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 case evaluation.