Bus Accident Attorney in Maryland Heights, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Maryland Heights, MO. If you or a family member has been harmed in a destructive 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 receive equal attention as plane or train crashes, even though the can oftentimes be equally as harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Maryland Heights, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and respect the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have devastating, sometimes lifelong consequences for you or your loved ones. Your Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the best possible compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in Maryland Heights and throughout Missouri and standing up to bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egotistically do not want to be held responsible for their negligent actions. Many Maryland Heights, MO individuals have put their claims and their futures in our trustworthy hands, and in total we have recovered for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, tenacity, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help Maryland Heights, MO residents become whole again. You should not have to lose wages, pay for ridiculous medical costs and also work through the emotional shock of your injury only because somebody else broke the rules. If you or a family member has been harmed in a Maryland Heights, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation. We start working on your case right away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win your case.

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

Do I Need a Maryland Heights, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus presuming that the correct safety measures were obeyed. Maryland Heights, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to follow, 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 fully heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible instances can even cause wrongful death. The Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will fight by your side so you are not required to go it alone. When you hire us we begin working on your case straight away, and will not let up until you receive the full compensation you deserve. We have seen every type of bus accident claim and know every trick insurance companies use to try and defraud injured Maryland Heights, MO individuals and families into settling for less compensation than they entitled to. Those Maryland Heights, 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 tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal proceedings are convoluted and can be unforgiving to Maryland Heights, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial abilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can expect an accomplished and knowledgeable 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 acquire essential evidence for your case.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also sustained injuries in the crash or were close by. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are usually many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will conduct official depositions of eyewitnesses to aid in your case.
• Acquire additional evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and maintenance was conducted on the bus. A lot of different factors give rise to bus accidents, and your Burger Law Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney will determine why the crash happened and who needs to be held responsible.
• Work alongside our network of Maryland Heights, MO crash and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and put a figure on precisely how much your damages are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will implement our experience and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Maryland Heights, 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 weasel their way out of their obligation to compensate you. When you hire us, you can be sure those schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will use our expert litigation skills to secure you a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Furthermore, 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 collect no attorneys fees until you are fairly compensated. If you or a family member has been injured 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?

Since bus drivers, companies and manufacturers all have a role to play in running a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who caused your injuries. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Maryland Heights, 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 determine who is responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Maryland Heights, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that beginner 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 transpired.
• Driver action. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were caused by an egregious offense such as driving while intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan stated that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being sleepy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, especially the ones that drive 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break 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 conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, slippery roads or Maryland Heights, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus riders. Sometimes a third party such as a construction company will be liable. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you understand if that is true in your 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 inspections of more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews often cannot stay ahead of the number of inspections required. Some Maryland Heights, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies are required to ensure that their drivers are adequately trained and do not drive too many hours without a break.
• Hazardous 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 lights
  • Obstacles on the road, for instance branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the dangerous condition has been on the Maryland Heights, MO road, the better your odds of holding the liable parties responsible. The negligent party may be a local Maryland Heights, MO government, or a third party whom the government contracted to fix the issue but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your talented Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your accident, they will be able to confirm who is at-fault for your injuries and how to take the next steps toward winning you the best possible financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident claims.

Commercial Bus Companies

Transportation buses such as Greyhounds are considered common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their patrons to look out for their safety. Part of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not driving too many hours without a break. Despite saying that safety is their highest priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not complying with its own rules when it comes to driver fatigue. Drivers are technically obligated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to prevent drowsiness. However, the rule is not enforced and is not often obeyed as too many breaks could result in financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study found that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were because of driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound passengers have reported that their driver was eating when the accident occurred, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Maryland Heights, 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 may be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to carry out routine maintenance or neglecting to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Finally, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Maryland Heights, 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 crash took place.

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 if a product is discovered to be faulty. If they approve an inherently defective 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 attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure negligent parties are held responsible for their actions.

The Maryland Heights or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people involved and because they frequently occur in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Maryland Heights, MO government, there are specific procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental bodies 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 injury with the Office of Administration’s Risk Management Division. That is why it is imperative to reach out to a Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney right 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 careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to negligence. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Maryland Heights, 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 their employers 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 obligation to heart and causes you injury, you can be confident that the devoted and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, there are often two or more drivers, and in some instances they each may shoulder a portion of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated or pulling in front of the bus too quickly can harm you. If you were harmed in a bus accident where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and seasoned Maryland Heights, 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 the type of bus accident we most typically see in Maryland Heights 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 Maryland Heights, 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 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 Maryland Heights, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you collect in a bus accident case will typically be based on the gravity of your injuries and how they have impacted and will affect they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Maryland Heights, 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 assistive devices for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you collect 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 costs, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential

  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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you get maximum 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 Maryland Heights, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every category of bus accident case and know the tremendous anguish and disastrous effect it can have on your and your loved ones. Your Maryland Heights, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have obtained over the past 20 years to win you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, do not delay. Call Burger Law immediately at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form for a free consultation.