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Bus Accident Attorney in Knob Noster, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in Knob Noster, MO. If you or a family member has been hurt in a disastrous 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 hardly ever receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be just as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Knob Noster, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and disregard the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you secure the maximum compensation that you are entitled to 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 Knob Noster and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to be held responsible for their thoughtless actions. Our Knob Noster, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished 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 Knob Noster, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for expensive medical costs and also work through the emotional toll of your injury only because someone else broke the rules. If you or a family member has been injured in a Knob Noster, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We start working on your case straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are owed.
If you were injured in a bus accident in Knob Noster, MO because of somebody else's careless actions, learn how much your injury may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a Knob Noster, 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 the bus assuming that the proper safety arrangements were obeyed. Knob Noster, MO bus companies and drivers have strict laws they are supposed to respect, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we start investigating on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you recover 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 deceive injured Knob Noster, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they deserve. Those Knob Noster, 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 tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.
The legal process is convoluted and can be unforgiving to Knob Noster, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every detail of your case. You can bank on a veteran and talented 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 at the site at any time of the day or night in order to secure essential 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 a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
- Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance videos, police reports, and key details such as how far the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. Many different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
- Use our network of Knob Noster, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our experience and expertise to make certain you collect it.
- Stand up to resistant Knob Noster, 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 duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those tricks will not work in your case.
- Take the fight 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 secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.
Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the 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 fair compensation. If you or a family member has been injured in a catastrophic bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 caused your injuries. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Knob Noster, 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 determine what entity needs to be held liable for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | Knob Noster, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 happened.
- Driver error. While the same study reported that just 4 percent of bus accidents were owing to an egregious offense such as the driver being intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for commercial bus companies such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles at all hours of the day or night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often 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 enforced or obeyed.
- Road hazards. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of maneuvering them, icy roads or Knob Noster, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus passengers. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company is negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies case.
- Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory bodies, 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 reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews frequently cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections required. Some Knob Noster, MO bus companies do not adequately inspect their vehicles, causing them to be dangerous. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
- Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
- Inadequate lighting
- Excessive grades
The longer the hazardous condition has been on the Knob Noster, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Knob Noster, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not adequately repair it.
Once your knowledgeable Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney confirm the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to establish who is at-fault for your injuries and how to go forward with securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found at-fault in bus accident cases.
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 patrons 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 principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules in regards to 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 not often followed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study reported that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the crash happened, which constitutes distracted driving.
Ensuring that Knob Noster, MO buses are correctly inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident may be because of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are especially at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.
Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Knob Noster, 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 accident happened.
A Bus Manufacturer
Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to confirm the safety of their products and swiftly issue recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 place the blame on somebody else, your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.
The Knob Noster or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can frequently be ruinous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they generally happen in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Knob Noster, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in tort suits. 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 urgent to call a Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney straight away after your injury. 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 an at-fault or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash due to driver error. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Knob Noster, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you go on board a bus you trust that driver with your safety and your life. If a bus driver does not take that responsibility seriously and causes you injury, you can be certain that the committed and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.
The Other Driver
Like any type of motor vehicle wreck, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may share a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, 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 wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and veteran Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm 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 Knob Noster 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 liable, a school district in Knob Noster, 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 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 Knob Noster, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will usually be based on the gravity of your injuries and the consequences they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that merely required a quick trip to an emergency room in Knob Noster, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of assistive devices for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain 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 potential
We work with our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you collect the best possible compensation for all of your damages.
Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:
Call Our Knob Noster, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Knob Noster, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and determined and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to secure you the the best possible recovery you rightfully deserve. 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 free case evaluation.