Bus Accident Attorney in Oak Grove, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Oak Grove, MO. If you or a family member has been injured in a catastrophic 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 almost never receive the same attention as plane or train wrecks, even though the can oftentimes be just as dangerous and deadly. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Oak Grove, MO bus drivers and bus companies to keep us safe and obey the rules. When they eschew their obligations and do not respect the rules it can have devastating, sometimes permanent consequences for you or your family. Your Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make sure that you recover the full compensation that you deserve for your damages.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has over two decades of experience defending the injured in Oak Grove and throughout Missouri and fighting back against bullies like resistant insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their thoughtless behavior. Our Oak Grove, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our capable hands, and in total we have gotten them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, relentlessness, knowledge and experience to help right wrongs in personal injury cases and help Oak Grove, MO residents heal. You should not have to lose work, pay for sky-high medical costs and also work through the emotional scars of your injury just because another person disregarded the rules. If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a Oak Grove, 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 evaluation. We begin working on your case 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 Oak Grove, MO because of somebody else's reckless actions, learn how much your damages may be worth by filling out our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Oak Grove, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, we know you are feeling especially unprotected. After all, you were not the driver and you got on board the bus presuming that the proper safety protocols were obeyed. Oak Grove, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they are supposed to adhere to, but sometimes they neglect those obligations and they leave us to pick up the pieces. Because of the force that is typically caused by bus accidents, injuries can take years to truly recover from, may have lifelong effects or in the worst cases can even cause wrongful death. The Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand by your side 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 are awarded the full compensation you are owed. We have experienced with every type of bus accident injury and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Oak Grove, MO individuals and families into settling for less money than they are owed. Those Oak Grove, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes up – and wins – the complicated cases. Call us today and let the passionate, seasoned and aggressive bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you safeguard your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are convoluted and can be difficult to comprehend for Oak Grove, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial experience of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over two decades standing up to bullies and fighting the hard fight. When you hire our Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney team, we manage every aspect of your claim. You can anticipate a veteran and knowledgeable bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site immediately. When you call us, we can have a bus accident lawyer at the site at any time of the day or night in order to secure important evidence for your claim.
• Interview eyewitnesses who were either also experienced injuries in the crash or were nearby. As buses carry multiple passengers, there are typically many people who want the same answers and compensation you seek. Eyewitness testimony is a important part of proving your case.
• Collect further evidence such as tire marks, security videos, police reports, in additional to important details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break 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 Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney will find out why the crash happened and who needs to be held accountable.
• Work with our network of Oak Grove, MO crash 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 implement our experience and expertise to make sure you recover it.
• Stand up to resistant Oak Grove, 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 tricks 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 damages.

Additionally, our bus accident attorney team will be keeping you informed 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 charge no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been harmed in a catastrophic 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 role to play in operating a bus safely you will first need to find out the cause of the accident before determining who is liable. Thankfully, an accomplished and skilled Oak Grove, 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 responsible for your injuries.

What Causes Bus Accidents? | Oak Grove, MO Bus Accident Attorney

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that novice drivers under 25 years old, in addition to more experienced drivers over 55 years old 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 grave offense such as the driver being intoxicated, a different study by the University of Michigan reported that 31 percent of bus drivers in metropolitan area bus accidents had committed driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. A lot of bus drivers, particularly the ones that are employed by commercial bus lines such as Greyhound that require drivers to drive hundreds of miles in the middle of the night, become sleepy and can even fall asleep behind the wheel. While most busing companies have rules about how many hours a driver can drive during a day or how frequently 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 enforced or followed.
• Road hazards. Given buses’ size and the intricacy of driving them, icy roads or Oak Grove, MO construction areas can be particularly dangerous for bus riders. In some cases a third party such as a construction company is liable. 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 entities, 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 reviews for more than 765,000 trucks and buses, or just 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means inspectors generally cannot keep pace with the quantity of inspections needed. Some Oak Grove, MO bus companies do not properly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be a hazard. Furthermore, bus companies need to make certain 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 result in a driver losing control and crashing. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Defective 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 Oak Grove, MO road, the better your chances of holding the at-fault parties responsible. The liable party may be a local Oak Grove, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to repair the problem but either did not do so in a timely fashion or did not sufficiently repair it.

Once your accomplished Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney determines the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to ascertain who is at-fault for your injuries and how to proceed with delivering you a full financial recovery. Below are some examples of parties who are often found at-fault in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers under the law, which means they have a duty of care to their customers to maintain their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to make sure that their drivers are not being overworked. In despite of 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 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 rarely obeyed as too many breaks could lead to financial losses for the company. A 2012 government study stated that 37 percent of all passenger bus crashes were caused by driver fatigue. Additionally, many Greyhound customers have said that their driver was eating during the time of an accident, which constitutes distracted driving.

Making certain that Oak Grove, MO buses are correctly inspected and maintained and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also the responsibility of the bus company. A bus accident might be a consequence of a bus company either neglecting to perform routine maintenance or failing to repair a broken part or component. Buses with more miles under their wheels are particularly vulnerable to breaking down and bus companies need to keep their fleets updated.

Lastly, bus companies need to be diligent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be adequately licensed and trained, and should only be allowed to drive after passing stringent background checks. Your Oak Grove, 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 crash happened.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to guarantee the safety of their vehicles and quickly announce recalls in the event of a faulty product. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 shift the blame to somebody else, your Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure reckless parties are held accountable for their behavior.

The Oak Grove or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can often be catastrophic because of the amount of people who could be injured and because they typically happen in densely populated areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Oak Grove, MO government, there are particular procedures for doing so. Missouri has sovereign immunities 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 vital to get in touch with a Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney immediately 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 driving a motor vehicle “within the course of their employment.” This means that you can sue or make a claim against a liable or reckless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause an accident due to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop driving when they were feeling fatigued, did not pay attention to the Oak Grove, MO road conditions and driving laws while they were driving or made the horrible decision to drive drunk, they need to be held accountable just like their employers sometimes have to be. When you board 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 devoted and tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will hold them accountable.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto accident, two or more drivers are frequently involved, and in some instances they each may shoulder a percentage of the blame. Another driver’s recklessness, 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 skilled and seasoned Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney will help you confirm 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 Oak Grove 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 at fault, a school district in Oak Grove, MO may also be held accountable, for example 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 Oak Grove, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you recover in a bus accident case will typically be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the ramifications they have on your life. You may have received a sprained ankle that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Oak Grove, MO and a week or two off work. Or, you may have sustained a devastating 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 Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law, we will make certain that you secure 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 capacity

  We use our team 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 grave your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney team will fight tirelessly to ensure that you are awarded 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 Oak Grove, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every type of bus accident case and know the incalculable anguish and calamitous effect it can have on your and your family. Your Oak Grove, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is passionate, accomplished, honest and tenacious and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have gained over the past 20 years to win 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 complimentary consultation.