Bus Accident Attorney in Overland, MO

Bus Accident Attorney in Overland, MO. If you or someone you care about has been hurt 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 get the same attention as plane or train accidents, even though the can often be similarly harmful and fatal. In 2020, there were 964 bus accidents in Missouri that resulted in personal injury or death. We trust Overland, MO bus drivers and bus companies to maintain our safety and obey the rules. When they break that trust and break the rules it can have terrible, sometimes lifelong outcomes for you or the people you care about. Your Overland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make certain that you win the full compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries.

At Burger Law, our bus accident attorney team has more than two decades of experience defending the injured in Overland and throughout Missouri and pushing back against bullies like dishonest insurance companies and people who egocentrically do not want to take responsibility for their negligent behavior. Our Overland, MO clients have put their claims and their futures in our accomplished hands, and to date we have secured for them over $175 million in verdicts and settlements. Our bus accident attorney team uses their hard work, dedication, resolution, knowledge and experience to help find justice in personal injury cases and help Overland, MO residents on their road to recovery. You should not have to lose wages, pay for sky-high medical bills and also manage the emotional impact of your injury only because someone else disregarded the rules. If you or a loved one has been harmed in a Overland, MO bus accident, get in touch with the bus accident attorney of Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation. We get started on your claim straight away, and you do not owe us any fees until we win you the financial recovery you are owed.

If you were injured in a bus accident in Overland, MO because of someone else's reckless behavior, learn how much your damages may be worth by using our personal injury calculator.

Do I Need a Overland, MO Bus Accident Attorney?

If you have experienced injuries in a bus accident, you are likely feeling especially unshielded. After all, you were not the one driving and you went aboard the bus supposing that the proper safety protocols were followed. Overland, MO bus companies and drivers have firm laws they have an obligation to adhere to, 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 heal from, may have permanent consequences or in the worst instances can even result in wrongful death. The Overland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law will stand in your corner so you do not have to go it alone. When you hire us we get to work on on your case at once, and work tirelessly until you win the full compensation you deserve. We have made a claim for every type of bus accident case and know every trick insurance companies use to try and deceive injured Overland, MO individuals and families into accepting less money than they entitled to. Those Overland, MO insurance companies fear us because they know our bus accident attorney team takes on – and wins – the tough cases. Call us today and let the passionate, seasoned and tenacious bus accident lawyers at Burger Law help you protect your family’s future and help make you whole again.

Legal procedures are complicated and can be unforgiving to Overland, MO residents who do not have the litigation and trial capabilities of an accomplished bus accident attorney. For over 20 years fighting back against bullies and fighting the hard cases. When you hire our Overland, MO bus accident attorney team, we handle every facet of your claim. You can expect an accomplished and talented bus accident attorney at Burger Law to:

• Investigate the accident site immediately. 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 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 almost always a lot of people who want the same answers and financial recovery you seek. We will take official depositions of eyewitnesses to help in your case.
• Obtain further evidence such as tire marks, surveillance footage, police reports, as well as key details such as how far the driver had driven without taking a break or when the last inspection and repairs were done on the bus. Several different factors play a part in bus accidents, and your Burger Law Overland, MO bus accident attorney will discover why the crash happened and who needs to be held liable.
• Utilize our network of Overland, MO crash and medical experts to determine liability for your bus accident injuries and compute exactly how much your injuries are worth. You deserve every dime of what you are entitled to and we will use our savvy and expertise to ensure you collect it.
• Stand up to resistant Overland, MO insurance companies who are more interested in their profits 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 schemes will not work in your case.
• Take your case to trial if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, we will use our finely honed litigation skills to secure you a great financial recovery for your damages.

Beyond that, our bus accident attorney team will be by your side the entire 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. We charge no attorneys fees until we win your case. If you or a family member has been hurt in a calamitous bus accident, contact an expert and committed bus accident attorney at Burger Law today.

Who is Liable for My Bus Accident Injuries?

Since it takes so many people to operate a bus safely, from manufacturers, to bus companies to drivers, you will first need to discover the cause of the accident before determining who was negligent. Fortunately, an accomplished and skilled Overland, 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 liable for your injuries.

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

• The age of the driver and their experience. A 2012 Journal of Safety Research study found that inexperienced 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 occurred.
• Driver error. While the same study found that only 4 percent of bus accidents were due to a severe 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 accidents had been cited with driving errors, such as speeding, being drowsy or distracted driving.
• Driver fatigue. Many bus drivers, particularly the ones that work for 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 regulations about how many hours a driver can drive during without a break 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 required or followed.
• Road conditions. Given buses’ mass and the difficulty of driving them, icy roads or Overland, MO construction areas can be particularly hazardous for bus riders. Occasionally a third party such as a construction company will be negligent. Burger Law's bus accident attorney will help you determine if that applies case.
• Negligence by the bus company. Bus companies are regulated, 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 personnel responsible for inspections of over 765,000 trucks and buses, or only 1.15 inspectors per 1,000 motor carriers. This means reviews generally cannot keep pace with the amount of inspections needed. Some Overland, MO bus companies do not correctly inspect their vehicles, causing them to be less safe. Additionally, bus companies need to make certain that their drivers are sufficiently trained and do not drive too long without a break.
• Hazardous roads. Hazards in the road and road conditions can cause a driver to lose control and crash. A Few common examples are:
  • Potholes
  • Cracked or uneven pavement
  • Malfunctioning or missing traffic lights
  • Obstacles on the road, such as branches or vehicle wreckage
  • Insufficient lighting
  • Excessive grades

  The more time the hazardous condition has been on the Overland, MO street, the better your odds of holding the liable parties responsible. The at-fault party may be a local Overland, MO government, or a third party whom the government paid to eliminate the problem but either did not do so quickly enough or did not properly repair it.

Once your knowledgeable Overland, MO bus accident attorney ascertains the reasons behind your wreck, they will be able to determine who is liable for your injuries and how to go forward with delivering you full compensation. Below are some examples of parties who are typically found liable in bus accident cases.

Commercial Bus Lines

Transport buses such as Greyhounds are regarded as common carriers legally speaking, which means they have a duty of care to their riders to look out for their safety. One facet of that duty of care is to ensure that their drivers are not driving too many hours in a day. In despite of saying that safety is their top priority, a CNN report in 2016 found that Greyhound is not following its own rules regarding driver fatigue. Drivers are theoretically mandated to stop every 150 miles and get out to inspect the vehicle to inhibit 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. Moreover, many Greyhound customers have reported that their driver was eating when the crash took place, which is an example of distracted driving.

Ensuring that Overland, MO buses are adequately inspected and repaired and that they have safety equipment such as seatbelts are also part of the bus company's responsibility. A bus accident could be the result of a bus company either failing to conduct 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.

Lastly, bus companies need to be prudent in their hiring practices. All drivers need to be sufficiently licensed and trained, and should only be able to drive after passing strict background checks. Your Overland, 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 accident occurred.

A Bus Manufacturer

Like car and other motor vehicle manufacturers, bus manufacturers have an obligation to verify the safety of their products and immediately issue recalls in the event of a defective product. If they approve an inherently flawed 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 attempt to place the blame on someone else, your Overland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law has over 20 years of experience making sure liable parties are held accountable for their actions.

The Overland or Missouri Government or a Public Entity

Public transportation accidents can frequently be disastrous because of the number of people who could be injured and because they usually happen in metropolitan areas. While you can seek a financial recovery from the Overland, MO government, there are special procedures for doing so. Missouri has stricter protections for governmental entities and government employees than for the average citizen in injury liability suits. 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 crucial to get in touch with a Overland, MO bus accident attorney immediately after your accident. 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 negligent or careless public bus driver in Missouri.

The Bus Driver

Even a properly licensed and trained bus driver can cause a crash owing to recklessness. If they became distracted by eating or texting, did not stop the bus when they were feeling sleepy, did not pay attention to the Overland, 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 bus companies sometimes have to be. When you ascend a bus you trust that driver with your safety 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 tenacious bus accident attorney at Burger Law will make them pay.

The Other Driver

Like any type of auto crash, two or more drivers are often involved, and in some instances they each may share 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 harm you. If you were hurt in a bus crash where there was another driver or drivers involved, your talented and experienced Overland, 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 crash in Overland 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 Overland, MO may also be held accountable, for example if they did not cancel school on a day when road conditions were especially poor or they did not perform 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 Overland, MO Recover For Me?

The compensation you get in a bus accident case will generally be based on the seriousness of your injuries and the repercussions they have on your life. You may have sustained a sprained wrist that just required a quick trip to an emergency room in Overland, MO and a couple weeks off work. Or, you may have sustained a catastrophic 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 Overland, 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 expenses, such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, assistive devices and medications
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

  We use our network of medical and economic experts to determine 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 serious your injuries and however much they have affected your life, Burger Law's Overland, MO bus accident attorney team will fight aggressively to ensure that you recover maximum 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 Overland, MO Bus Accident Attorney Today

We have seen every sort of bus accident case and know the tremendous pain and catastrophic effect it can have on your and the people you care about. Your Overland, MO bus accident attorney at Burger Law is compassionate, accomplished, straightforward and relentless and will use every bit of the knowledge and abilities we have acquired over the past two decades to secure you the full recovery you rightfully deserve. If you or a loved one has been harmed 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 case evaluation.