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Bus Accident Attorney in North Kansas City, MO
Bus Accident Attorney in North Kansas City, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a devastating 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 frequently be just as hazardous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust North Kansas City, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and follow the rules. When they eschew their responsibilities and disregard the rules it can have terrible, sometimes permanent effects for you or your family. Your North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you secure the best possible compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured in North Kansas City and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who selfishly do not want to be held accountable for their careless behavior. Many North Kansas City, MO individuals have put their claims 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 determination, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help secure justice in personal injury cases and help North Kansas City, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical costs and also handle the emotional toll of your injury just because someone else broke the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a North Kansas City, MO bus accident, call the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation. We get started on your claim immediately, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you deserve.
If you were injured in a bus accident in North Kansas City, MO because of someone else's reckless behavior, discover how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.
What's The Process to Settle My Personal Injury Claim?
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Do I Need a North Kansas City, MO Bus Accident Attorney?
If you were caused injuries in a bus accident, you are probably feeling especially undefended. After all, you were not the one driving and you got on the bus under the assumption that the correct safety arrangements were followed. North Kansas City, MO bus companies and drivers have strict rules they have a responsibility to follow, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is often caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to fully heal from, may have lifelong consequences or in the most terrible cases can even lead to wrongful death. The North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not need to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case straight away, and will not let up until you receive the best possible compensation you are entitled to. We have seen every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured North Kansas City, MO individuals and families into accepting a lower recovery than they deserve. Those North Kansas City, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the compassionate, accomplished and aggressive 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 difficult to comprehend for North Kansas City, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years standing up to bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every facet of your case. You can anticipate an experienced and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:
- Investigate the accident site as soon as possible. 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 key evidence for your claim.
- Interview eyewitnesses who were either also involved in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry a lot of passengers, there are often many people who want the same answers and financial recovery you do. Eyewitness testimony is a essential part of proving your case.
- Acquire further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to key details such as how long the driver had driven that day or when the last inspection and repairs were conducted on the bus. Several different factors cause bus accidents, and your Burger Law North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney will discover the "whys" of the accident and who needs to be held accountable.
- Work alongside our network of North Kansas City, MO accident and medical experts to determine negligence for your bus accident injuries and assess exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are owed and we will utilize our knowledge and expertise to ensure you get it.
- Stand up to resistant North Kansas City, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their bottom line than your well-being. We have seen every trick in the book that insurance companies use to try and avoid their duty to compensate you. 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 constantly trained litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your injuries.
Furthermore, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed whole time. We oversee all communication, documentation and litigation so that you can spend all of your energy on healing and making your family whole again. You owe us no attorneys fees until you are fully compensated. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a disastrous bus accident, contact an expert and committed 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 running a bus in a safe manner you will first need to learn the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled North Kansas City, 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 what entity is responsible for your injuries.
What Causes Bus Accidents? | North Kansas City, MO Bus Accident Attorney
- Driver age and experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under the age of 25, as well as more experienced drivers over the age of 55 were more likely to be driving when a bus accident transpired.
- Driver error. While the same study reported that only 4 percent of bus accidents were because of a grave offense such as driving while intoxicated, another study by the University of Michigan found that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus wrecks had been cited with driving errors, for example, speeding, being fatigued or distracted driving.
- Driver fatigue. A good deal of bus drivers, especially 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 specifications about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break 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 obligated or obeyed.
- Road conditions. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of steering them, icy roads or North Kansas City, MO construction areas can be especially dangerous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company will be at fault. 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 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 reviews for more than 765,000 commercial motor vehicles, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors frequently cannot stay ahead of the amount of inspections needed. Some North Kansas City, MO bus companies do not adequately maintain their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Additionally, bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
- Dangerous roads. Unsafe road conditions or hazards in the road can lead to a driver losing control and crashing. A Few typical examples are:
- Potholes
- Cracked or uneven pavement
- Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
- Obstacles on the road, for example branches or vehicle wreckage
- Poor lighting
- Excessive grades
The more time the dangerous condition has been on the North Kansas City, MO road, the better your chances of holding the negligent parties accountable. The at-fault party may be a local North Kansas City, MO government, or a third party whom the government hired to eliminate the issue but either did not do so soon enough or did not correctly repair it.
Once your expert North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney establishes the cause of your crash, they will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries and how to proceed with getting you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are frequently found liable in bus accident claims.
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 passengers to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make certain that their drivers are not driving too many miles in a day. Despite insisting that safety is their principal priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following 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 stave off sleepiness. 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. Moreover, many Greyhound passengers have said that their driver was eating when the accident transpired, which constitutes distracted driving.
Making sure that North Kansas City, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's obligation. A bus accident could be a consequence of a bus company either failing to perform routine maintenance or neglecting to fix a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly at risk of breaking down and bus companies must keep their fleets updated.
Finally, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be correctly licensed and trained, and should only be permitted to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will perform 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 a duty to confirm the safety of their products and immediately announce 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 properly, they are guilty of product liability. While they may try to shift the blame to somebody else, your North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over two decades of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their behavior.
The North Kansas City or Missouri Government or a Public Entity
Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people involved and because they often take place in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the North Kansas City, 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 cases. If you want 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 urgent to reach out to a North Kansas City, 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 operating a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a negligent or thoughtless public bus driver in Missouri.
The Bus Driver
Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a wreck because of driver error. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the North Kansas City, 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 health and your life. If a bus driver does not take that duty to heart and causes you injury, you can be certain that the dedicated and aggressive bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.
The Other Driver
Like any type of auto accident, there are often two or more drivers, and in some cases they each may shoulder 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 injure you. If you were injured in a bus wreck where there was another driver or drivers involved, your knowledgeable and experienced North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney will help you ascertain if they are liable and if you can make a claim against their insurance company.
School Districts
School bus accidents are the the category of bus accident we most commonly see in North Kansas City 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 North Kansas City, MO may also be held responsible, for instance if they did not cancel school on a day when road 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 North Kansas City, MO Recover For Me?
The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will usually depend on the severity of your injuries and how they have affected and will impact they have on your life. You may have received a mild concussion that only needed a quick trip to an emergency room in North Kansas City, 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 special equipment for the remainder of your life. When you hire a dedicated and accomplished North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you receive a great 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, physical therapy, assistive devices and medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
We use our network of medical and economic experts to compute 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 affected your life, Burger Law's North Kansas City, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you recover full compensation for all of your damages.
Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:
Call Our North Kansas City, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today
We have seen every kind of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and ruinous effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your North Kansas City, 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 acquired over the past two decades to win you the maximum recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured 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 consultation.