Bus Accident Attorney in Macon, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Macon, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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 rarely get equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can frequently be equally as harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Macon, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their obligations and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your family. Your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will ensure that you receive the maximum compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience defending the injured in Macon and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who carelessly do not want to take responsibility for their negligent actions. Many Macon, MO residents have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have won them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, commitment, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Macon, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose work, pay for ridiculous medical bills and also handle the emotional impact of your injury just because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Macon, MO bus accident, contact the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We begin working on your case at once, and we do not charge any fees until we win your case.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Macon, MO because of someone else's careless behavior, discover how much your claim may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Macon, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially vulnerable. After all, you were not the driver and you boarded the bus assuming that the adequate safety arrangements were adhered to. Macon, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent laws they have a responsibility to obey, but sometimes they neglect those obligations 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 recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the most terrible cases can even cause wrongful death. The Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to face an uncertain future alone. When you hire us we start working on your case immediately, and work tirelessly until you receive the best possible 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 Macon, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they are owed. Those Macon, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, seasoned 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 Macon, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial skills 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 Macon, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your case. You can bank on a veteran and skilled bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the crash site the first chance we get. 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 secure important evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also received injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a variety of passengers, there are almost always many passengers who want the same answers and compensation you need. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, and key details such as how many miles the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law Macon, MO bus accident attorney will determine the "whys" of the crash and who needs to be held liable.
• Use our network of Macon, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will utilize our know-how and expertise to ensure you recover it.
• Fight back against resistant Macon, 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 damages. When you hire us, you can be sure those ploys will not work in your case.
• Take your case in front of a judge and jury if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to win you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner whole 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. You owe us no attorneys fees until you are fairly compensated. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Macon, MO bus accident attorney like those at Burger Law have seen every variety of car accident, truck accident and bus accident case and will be able to discover who needs to be held accountable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 happened.
• Driver action. While the same study stated that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a severe offense such as drunk driving, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus collisions had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, especially those that work for commercial bus lines 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 at the wheel. While most busing companies have specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break or how often they have to take a break, those regulations 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’ weight and the intricacy of maneuvering them, slippery roads or Macon, MO construction areas can be particularly risky for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you discover if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are overseen by regulatory entities, but not nearly 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 people responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot keep up with the number of inspections required. Some Macon, MO bus companies do not properly repair their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies are required to make sure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can result in a driver losing control and causing an accident. Some common 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 longer the hazardous condition has been on the Macon, MO street, the better your odds of holding the liable parties accountable. The negligent party may be a local Macon, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to repair the condition but either did not do so soon enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your expert Macon, MO bus accident attorney establishes the reasons for your accident, they will be able to establish who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found negligent in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their passengers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of saying that safety is their utmost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules regarding 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 usually not obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were owing to driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash occurred, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Macon, MO buses are properly inspected and repaired and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident could be because of a bus company either failing to provide routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies cannot use negligent hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Macon, 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 crash transpired.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have a responsibility to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and immediately issue recalls if a product is discovered to be dangerous. If they approve an inherently dangerous 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 try to place the blame on somebody else, your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Macon or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they usually transpire in metropolitan areas. While you can file a suit against the Macon, 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 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 essential to call a Macon, 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 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 because of recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or talking, did not stop driving when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Macon, 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 get on 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 committed and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto collision, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may be responsible for 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 hurt you. If you were harmed in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your skilled and accomplished Macon, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish 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 crash in Macon 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 at fault, a school district in Macon, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when weather conditions were particularly poor or they did not carry out sufficient 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 Macon, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you are awarded in a bus accident case will generally be based on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that only required a quick trip to an emergency room in Macon, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic 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 Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure that you receive 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  We work with our network of medical and economic experts to calculate 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 Macon, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you get full 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 Macon, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and catastrophic effect it can have on your and your family. Your Macon, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is empathetic, accomplished, straightforward and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to get you the maximum recovery you are rightfully owed. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, there is no time to wait. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free case review.