Bus Accident Attorney in Manchester, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Manchester, MO. If you or someone you care about has been harmed 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 crashes, even though the can oftentimes be similarly harmful and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Manchester, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and follow the rules. When they eschew their duty and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong effects for you or your loved ones. Your Manchester, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you collect the best possible compensation that you are owed for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Manchester and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like deceptive insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their careless behavior. Many Manchester, MO individuals have put their cases and their futures in our capable hands, and to date 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 find justice in personal injury cases and help Manchester, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for pricey medical costs and also deal with the emotional trauma of your injury just because somebody else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Manchester, MO bus accident, contact 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 right away, and we do not charge any fees until we win you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Manchester, MO because of someone else's careless actions, discover how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Manchester, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the driver and you went aboard the bus assuming that the correct safety arrangements were followed. Manchester, MO bus companies and drivers have stringent regulations they have a responsibility 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 fully recover from, may have permanent effects or in the worst cases can even result in wrongful death. The Manchester, 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 get to work on on your case immediately, and will not let up until you win the best possible 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 deceive injured Manchester, MO individuals and families into accepting less compensation than they entitled to. Those Manchester, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the hard cases. Call us today and let the empathetic, accomplished and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

The legal process is convoluted and can be unforgiving to Manchester, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. We have more than 20 years of experience fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Manchester, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every detail of your claim. 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 at the site at any time during the day or night in order to obtain important 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 other people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of winning your case.
• Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security footage, police reports, as well as 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 give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Manchester, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Manchester, MO auto wreck and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and work out exactly how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will use our savvy and expertise to make sure you get it.
• Fight back against resistant Manchester, 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 weasel their way out of their duty to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be in your corner entire time. We handle 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 you are fairly compensated. If you or a family member has been harmed in a devastating bus accident, contact an expert and dedicated 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 in a safe manner you will first need to determine the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Manchester, 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 find out what entity is responsible for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that recently licensed 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 happened.
• Driver error. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by a severe offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus crashes had committed driving errors, for example, speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that drive for commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that necessitate drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become fatigued 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 frequently 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 required or obeyed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ weight and the awkwardness of steering them, icy roads or Manchester, MO construction areas can be especially risky for bus passengers. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is the 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 inspectors responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections needed. Some Manchester, MO bus companies do not properly maintain their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Furthermore, bus companies need to ensure that their drivers are correctly trained and are not overworked.
• Hazardous roads. Faults in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. Some common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Uneven pavement or cracks in the pavement
  • Defective or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Manchester, MO street, the better chance you have of holding the negligent parties accountable. The liable party may be a local Manchester, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your experienced Manchester, MO bus accident attorney deduces the reasons behind your crash, they will be able to ascertain who is responsible for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward securing you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are generally found negligent in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many miles without a break. Despite saying that safety is their foremost priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit sleepiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is usually not obeyed as too many breaks could cause financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were due to driver fatigue. Furthermore, many Greyhound riders have reported that their driver was eating when the crash happened, which is an example of distracted driving.

Making certain that Manchester, MO buses are adequately inspected and maintained and that safety equipment such as seatbelts are present and up-to-date are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident might be because of a bus company either failing to conduct routine inspections or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Older buses are particularly susceptible to breaking down and bus companies need to 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 allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Manchester, 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 took place.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and immediately announce recalls if a product is found to be faulty. 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 may try to place the blame on somebody else, your Manchester, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure careless parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Manchester or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be devastating because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they usually occur in metropolitan areas. While you can make a claim against the Manchester, 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 cases. If you want 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 urgent to call a Manchester, 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 a negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by looking at the roadside or talking, did not stop the bus when they were feeling overly tired, did not pay attention to the Manchester, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the dangerous decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like bus companies sometimes have to be. When you get on a bus you trust that driver with your health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty seriously and causes you injury, you can be sure that the devoted and relentless bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them responsible.

The Other Driver

Like any type of motor vehicle accident, there are frequently two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may share a portion of the blame. Another driver’s negligence, 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 crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and accomplished Manchester, MO bus accident attorney will help you establish if they are liable and if you should make a claim against their insurance company.

School Districts

School bus accidents are the most common type of bus accident in Manchester 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 Manchester, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were particularly bad 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 Manchester, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you receive in a bus accident case will generally depend on the gravity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have sustained a mild concussion that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in Manchester, MO and a short time off work. Or, you may have experienced a disastrous spinal cord injury that leaves you disabled and in need of special equipment for the rest of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Manchester, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will ensure 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We work with our network 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 severe your injuries and however much they have impacted your life, Burger Law's Manchester, MO bus accident attorney team will fight relentlessly to ensure that you receive 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 Manchester, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every variety of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Manchester, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and persistent and will use every bit of the knowledge and skills we have obtained over the past 20 years to secure you the full 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 evaluation.