Bus Accident Attorney in Lamar, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Lamar, MO. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a catastrophic bus accident, take control of your recovery by calling Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or by contacting us online.

Bus accidents almost never get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can oftentimes be equally as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Lamar, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they eschew their duty and break the rules it can have ruinous, sometimes permanent consequences for you or the people you care about. Your Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you secure the best possible compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Lamar and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless actions. Our Lamar, MO clients have put their cases and their futures in our accomplished hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Lamar, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also handle the emotional toll of your injury just because another person broke the rules. If you or a family member has been hurt in a Lamar, MO bus accident, reach out to the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review. We get started on your case right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are owed.

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

Do I Need a Lamar, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially powerless. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on board the bus presuming that the adequate safety protocols were obeyed. Lamar, MO bus companies and drivers have firm rules they have a responsibility to adhere to, but sometimes they fail in those duties and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often exerted by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight on your behalf 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 get the maximum compensation you are owed. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Lamar, MO individuals and families into settling for a lower recovery than they entitled to. Those Lamar, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned and relentless bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are complicated and can be unforgiving to Lamar, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have over two decades of experience standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Lamar, MO bus accident attorney team, we oversee every detail of your claim. You can bank on a seasoned 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 during the day or night in order to acquire essential evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry many passengers, there are usually a lot of passengers who want the same answers and financial recovery you need. Eyewitness testimony is a vital part of proving your case.
• Collect additional evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and maintenance was performed on the bus. A lot of different factors contribute to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Lamar, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Lamar, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our know-how and expertise to ensure you receive it.
• Stand up to resistant Lamar, MO insurance companies who care more about their bottom line than your health. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and devalue your claim. 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 does not offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to win you a full financial recovery for your damages.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire time. We oversee 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 we win your case. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a ruinous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Because it requires 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 was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Lamar, 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? | Lamar, 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 the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident took place.
• Driver action. While the same study stated that just 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a severe offense such as drunk driving, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had been cited with driving errors, for instance, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A large portion of bus drivers, particularly those 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 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 frequently <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 hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of maneuvering them, icy roads or Lamar, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is the case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, but not close to as much as 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 motor carriers, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the number of inspections required. Some Lamar, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and are not overworked.
• 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
  • Faulty or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Lamar, MO road, the better chance you have of holding the liable parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Lamar, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to fix the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Lamar, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to go forward with winning you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are deemed common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to maintain their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. In despite of insisting that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not obeying its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the bus to inhibit fatigue. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often followed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating during the time of a crash, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Lamar, MO buses are sufficiently inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident may be because of a bus company either failing to carry out routine inspections or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are especially vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will carry out a complete investigation into the bus company's hiring practices and the person who was driving when the wreck happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to certify the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls if a product is discovered to be defective. If they approve an inherently faulty 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 Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Lamar or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be calamitous because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Lamar, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability claims. If you seek to file a suit 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 contact a Lamar, 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 an at-fault or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident through recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not pull over when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Lamar, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the terrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies 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 obligation seriously and causes you injury, you can be confident that the dedicated and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle collision, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may be responsible for a portion of the blame. Another driver’s thoughtlessness, 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 accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Lamar, 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 most common type of bus accident in Lamar 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 Lamar, MO may also be held responsible, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly dangerous or they did not perform 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 Lamar, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect 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 received a mild concussion that merely needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Lamar, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have received 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 Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you are awarded 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with our team of medical and economic experts to determine the exact dollar amount you are entitled to, 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 impacted your life, Burger Law's Lamar, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you receive 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 Lamar, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the immense pain and disastrous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Lamar, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past two decades to win you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a complimentary case review.